


Revenge

by Lastsyns



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Buried Alive, Explosions, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Injury Recovery, M/M, Rain, Rape Recovery, Revenge, Suffering
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 01:37:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 52,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9151051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lastsyns/pseuds/Lastsyns
Summary: While everyone else in Cardiff prepares for what is being called the Storm of the Century, Jack plays a dangerous game. With the Doctor's life already threatened can Jack save him and everyone else that he cares about or is it already too late?





	1. Chapter 1

"Be careful," Jack told the Doctor as the two of them stood outside of his TARDIS. He kissed the Doctor chastely on the lips trying to stall him for just another moment. He didn't want the Doctor to leave without him, but he couldn't go with him every time he left. He instead had to trust that his lover would return to him at the end of the day. 

"I always am," The Doctor responded kissing Jack quickly back. Kissing in front of others still made him uncomfortable and he glanced over to make sure that the members of Torchwood hadn't noticed the open display of affection. He squeezed Jack's hand briefly before disappearing into the TARDIS and closing the doors tightly behind him. He glanced at the monitor seeing Jack standing there still waiting for the TARDIS to leave. He pressed his fingers briefly to the screen, then pulled the handbrake to send her on her way. He spent his day happily traveling around the universe. He saved a small civilization from the food shortage that had plagued them for years killing off most of their people. He then saved a little girl who had been taken hostage by one of the neighboring civilizations. Feeling accomplished, he stopped off on a small moon to pick up extra red bananas before making his way back to Cardiff. He was almost there when the TARDIS picked up a strange signal coming from London. Curious, he landed the TARDIS in a small alley in the heart of the city. He thought for a moment about bringing Jack into help but quickly pushed the thought away. Jack was busy in Cardiff and if he actually needed help he could bring Jack in later. Digging in the drawer under the console, he dug out a small device then made his way over to the door letting himself out. 

He made his way confidently down the street, strolling as if he owned the place. People went around him, leaving him to his business as he watched the screen on the detector trying to find the anomaly that had alerted the TARDIS. As he walked a ball rolled out heading towards the street with a little boy chasing after it. He stopped the ball with his foot then knelt down to pick it up. The little boy approached cautiously as the Doctor held it out for him. 

"Thank you, mister," The boy smiled as he reached out and took the ball. The Doctor stood making his way down the street again. He was about to give up and head back to the TARDIS when the detector finally signaled that he was close to his destination. He put it in his pocket switching it out for his trusted sonic. Scanning the area, he headed down the closest alley. As he walked someone stepped out of the shadows in front of them. He opened his mouth to question them when he felt the sharp pinprick of a needle pressing into his arm. Panicked he turned to run out of the alley as his legs gave out. He crawled as far as he could as the darkness overtook him. He woke up to find himself laying on the thin dirty carpet of an old home. His arms were tied behind his back and his legs were tied together. He tried to figure out how long he had been asleep for but the drugs still racing through his system made it impossible to think. His eyes felt heavy as he forced them over to see the strange man from the alley looming over him as a second man stood nearby. 

"Let me go," The Doctor demanded with all the strength and anger he could manage. Even he had to admit, however, that he just sounded tired. 

"No," A familiar voice spoke up from the other side of the room, just outside of his vision. 

"Ianto?" The Doctor questioned turning his head towards the sound. It had been almost a year since he had last heard that voice but he still remembered it clearly. While Jack and Ianto had fought constantly the last few weeks Ianto had worked at Torchwood, the Doctor thought that he and the young Welshman had remained on semi-good terms despite what happened. In fact, he didn't even start dating Jack until Ianto had officially quit. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because the Captain needs to pay for what he has done," Ianto answered coming closer and kneeling down so that he could look the Doctor in the eyes. "Your death will only be the beginning of his suffering as he races to find you, only to find that it was too late to save you."

"You don't have to do this," The Doctor tried. A gag was shoved into his mouth effectively cutting off his words. 

"Oh, Doctor, I'm not going to do anything," Ianto informed him, turning to leave the room. The Doctor's eyes widened in fear as the two men approached him. He fought desperately against the men as they took his body for their own pleasure over and over again. He begged for Ianto to come back and put a stop to his suffering but help never came. It was almost a relief when he felt the sharp prick of the needle push into his skin again and once more the darkness overtook him.

He moaned as he came slowly came back into awareness. The first thing that he was aware of was the fact that he was now laying on a cold wooden floor. The second thing was that it couldn't have been a floor as he was curled up on his side with no room to stretch out. His legs ached from being pushed up towards his chest and his whole lower body felt as if it were one giant bruise. He whimpered softly as he tried to move finding that he was unable to. He opened his eyes to find that he couldn't see anything in the darkness, not even the hand in front of his face. He moved his arm, his elbow bumping against the wall as he tried to find his sonic before remembering that those men took his clothes. He shuddered as he fought not to be sick. He took a short breath as he tried to get his bearings. Feeling along the sides, he figured out that he was in a small wooden box. There was no room to move trapping him on his side. There were less than five centimeters between the top of his shoulder and the lid of the box. He lifted his arm pushing on the box, but there was no way to dislodge it. He tried not to panic as he pushed harder desperate to free himself. No matter how hard he tried, though, the lid remained in place. Fear washed over him causing him to twist in the small space. He kicked out at the bottom of the box and pounded on the sides as hard as he could. 

"Pease Ianto, just let me go," He cried out hoping for an answer that in his hearts he knew would never come. It wasn't like he hadn't been a prisoner or had his life threatened before. When you were over nine-hundred years old and had space and time at your fingertips, you were bound to make somebody mad or break a strange law that you didn't even know existed on some far off planet. This was different, however. He knew the man holding him captive but up until he woke in that room, he would have never imagined that the young Welshman could be capable of something like this. 

"I demand that you release me," He yelled, but still he received no answer. There was little oxygen in the small box and it made it hard to think. He might have been able to find a way out of the box if only he could remember how he ended up here in the first place. All he knew he was cold, sore, in pain, and more afraid than he had been in a very long time. This box was his cell and he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that this box would also be his grave. Curling into himself as much as possible, he hoped silently that Jack would find him in time.


	2. Chapter 2

The small wooden box had shown up on the steps to the hub overnight with no explanation. Mickey had been the first one to the hub and he had picked it up on the way inside setting it down on the desk as he examined the rift computers. While the box was strange it would still be there when he was ready to look at it. The rift, however, changed constantly and if he didn't check the readings he might miss something being taken or dropped off. That is why they always left someone in charge of the hub overnight. Jack would have been listening for any rift alarm that sounded throughout the long night but being that he was probably busy with the Doctor, he wouldn't pay attention to any minute changes until morning. That was alright with Mickey, however, as he enjoyed going over the data in the early morning while the hub was still quiet. He took a moment to make himself a quick cup of coffee before settling down to read the data. 

"Have you seen the Doctor?" Jack questioned as he entered the main hub. He had heard movement and hoped that it was his lover returning only to be disappointed that it was just Mickey coming into work for the day.

"Not yet. Did he not return last night?" Mickey wondered and Jack shook his head no. It wasn't unusual for the Doctor to lose track of time but he had been returning every night to the hub to spend time with Jack. Jack sighed he just needed to be patient with his lover and hoped silently that he would return tonight. 

"No, but that's alright. He probably is just caught up trying to save some planet or find a new type of banana," Jack laughed trying to hide his worry. He started to walk back to his office pausing as he noticed the small wooden box sitting on the computer table. "What's this?" 

"I don't know. It was sitting outside when I arrived," Mickey answered. Jack nodded picking it up. He looked at the box closely examining it. The box looked like a miniature coffin complete with a cross carved into the top plank. Opening the box, Jack saw there was a little skeleton inside of it. Written on the inside of the box in what looked to be blood were just two words. *Let's play.* They offered him no explanation of why the box had been delivered, nor did they give him a starting point. Yet, the words still managed to send a shudder down his spine.

Jack sat down hard in the computer chair while he thought about the sinister little box in his hand. He didn't know why the box bothered him so much when he had received worse threats over the years. It was a cheap box with a two simple words that in any other context he could have turned into an invitation to his bed. Yet, Jack had no doubt he wouldn't like this game. He turned it over in his hands thinking again about the fact it was a coffin. Not many people knew that he had spent over two thousand years buried beneath Cardiff in penance for letting go of his brother's hand as a child. He reached into the box, picking up the tiny skeleton within. The skeleton was cheap plastic that you could find anywhere around Halloween. It told him nothing about the game except to threaten him with a death. The question was whose death?

"Mickey, I need you to get on the phone with Gwen and Martha. Make sure they are alright, then tell them to get their asses to work," Jack snapped at him turning to the computer. He pulled up the security footage from earlier in the night starting at around midnight when he had last gone out for the night. He had stood staring across the Plas watching and waiting for the TARDIS to return before going inside a short time later. As he headed back in, he had saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning to look towards the water for a moment, he moved his hand to her gun in the process releasing the clasp to hold it in place. Seeing nothing he had then gone back into the hub. Jack reviewed the footage, once more watching the shadows as he paused on the footage to stare at them. He still saw nothing, however, regardless of how long he looked for shapes amongst the shadows. He continued to watch as he entered the hub for the night before fast forwarding the footage. Suddenly, a man wearing a hooded jacket stepped out of the shadows carrying the small box in his hand. Jack rewound the footage watching it until the man appeared out of nowhere again. Rewinding the footage once more, Jack slowed it down watching as the man suddenly materialized in the shadows. He let the footage play through this time. As he watched the man walked over to the steps, laying the small box down on the stairs. He stood up straight looking right at the camera. Jack swore under his breath upon seeing blood red eyes staring at him from between the hood and a handkerchief that covered his mouth and nose. He held up three fingers on a black gloved hand before turning away. He walked slowly back to the shadows disappearing as quickly as he had appeared. 

"Have you got a hold of the other's yet?" Jack called out as he tried to figure out what he meant by three. Did he mean that three people were going to go missing? Jack had only three employees currently not including the Doctor who helped out as he wanted. Did the man mean that he was going to kill the three of them or did he mean that Jack was going to receive three clues to figure out their game? It could have also meant a period of time. Did he have three seconds, three minutes, days, weeks or months? Jack sighed quickly becoming frustrated with the game.

"They are on their way here, boss. Gwen may be late, though. She was up late caring for Rhys because he apparently hurt his ankle tripping over a shoe in the middle of the night," Mickey explained. 

"I don't care what Rhys did to himself at the moment. Rhys is a grown man and can take care of himself. I, on the other hand, need her to do her job and liaison with the police for any missing people who might be in danger," Jack growled at Mickey. Mickey ignored his anger as he leaned back in his chair. While he understood Jack's frustration, getting angry over a small wooden box would accomplish nothing. 

"She will be here as quickly as she can, Jack," Mickey reassured him. Jack stood up quickly practically knocking his chair over in the process as he hurried towards the stairs to his office.

"I will be in my office. Alert me as soon as Martha and Gwen arrive," Jack told Mickey. 

"Yes, Sir," Mickey responded immediately with a bit of sarcasm in his tone. Whether or not Jack heard him, he didn't know as the door to his office slammed closed. Sighing, Mickey pulled himself to his feet. He felt bad about calling his pregnant wife in early to discuss a small box that probably meant nothing when she could have been at home resting. She was already high risk and despite his protest insisted on continuing to work as there was no other doctor currently working at Torched. Heading towards the kitchen, he decided to prepare her and Gwen a small meal for breakfast. It was the least he could do for pulling them out of their bed so early and he had the feeling it was going to be a very long day. 

-DW-

"Please Ianto, don't do this. You're a better man than this. Please just help me," The Doctor cried out struggling in the tight space of the box as the hours passed and his panic accumulated to the point that he struggled to find a way out of the box. The small space he could handle. It was being trapped in the darkness that filled him with fear. He hated the darkness ever since he was a child. He had hoped to one day outgrow his fear, but it had followed him throughout his regenerations. He clawed at the box edges trying desperately to find a seam or a crack that would allow him to open the box and escape. He didn't notice as he left scratches in the wood or when his fingers began to bleed. Already he was beginning to feel the effects of the low oxygen inside the box. His respiratory bypass tried to take over to replenish his cells, but he didn't let it. Not yet. The rational part of his mind didn't know how long he was going to be in the box and he might need that precious oxygen later. He had to calm himself or he was going to use up all of his air before he figured out what they wanted. He closed his eyes. 

"This is just like the games that Koschei use to play when he locked you in the closet at the academy. You need to think about this rationally Doctor or you are no smarter than the apes who took you captive," he told himself softly. It didn't help. He was scared, cold and hungry. He just wanted out of this horrible box and to be back aboard his TARDIS with Jack by his side. Not able to stop himself, alone and miserable he began to cry.


	3. Chapter 3

Martha set off for work almost as soon as the call came through. Mickey was reluctant to have Martha go in early due to Martha being just over four month's pregnant. He felt that her getting a proper amount of rest was more important than any task that Jack may have called them in for. Martha chastised him for trying to baby her before heading to the shower to get ready for work. While she understood Mickey's concern due to her pregnancy being high risk, she felt she was able to sit and do whatever paperwork or research Jack needed her to without risking herself or her unborn child. She showered quickly, dressing in loose-fitting slacks as well as a nice button up blouse. Not bothering to do more with her hair then brush it into a quick ponytail, she left the house into the cool morning air. On the bright side, her favorite bakery was already open and she stopped off for pastries. She still managed to arrive at the hub about the same time as Gwen. They greeted each other as they rushed to get out of the cold. Even though the hub was in the sewers they normally had the heat on so they didn't have to suffer during the winter. Yet, this morning the hub had an icy chill to it, causing Martha to pull her coat tighter around herself. 

"Why is it so cold in here?" She wondered as Mickey greeted her with a soft kiss.

"I will go check the furnace," Mickey commented heading towards the basement stairs.

"You can check it after the meeting," Jack snapped at him coming out of his office. During the last hour that he had been waiting for them, he had been growing more and more frustrated with the fact they were making no progress towards the threat or the fact that Doctor wasn't answering his phone. He was eager to get the meeting over with so that he knew they were, at least, aware and working on the project. He had detected some strange readings in the rift and wanted to get out to investigate them. It would give him a chance to stretch his legs and distract himself from the Doctor's disappearance. 

"It will just take a moment," Mickey responded not breaking his stride. 

"Fine, just be quick about it," Jack growled as he realized that he really didn't have a choice in the matter. They went up to the meeting room and while they waited for Mickey, Gwen passed out coffees for everyone but Martha who chose to have a cup of tea as Martha set the pastries in the middle of the table to share. She took one eating it happily while she waited for the meeting to start. Jack, however, didn't eat or touch his coffee. He was quickly getting impatient with his team as he was eager to get started. When Mickey arrived he didn't even give him time to sit down before explaining the arrival of the box that morning. He played the footage for them of the man leaving on the steps. Jack watched the footage carefully as he was still trying to figure out what the man used to travel. He didn't think it was a vortex manipulator as the man's hand never went near his wrist. That didn't rule out the possibility that the man was traveling in time as well but made it less likely. Few ships beyond the TARDIS had that ability and they were only able to jump a few years not all of time and space. 

"Are we really taking this box as a threat?" Martha wondered as the footage came to an end.

"Yes, we are until we are able to prove otherwise," Jack answered her. He pushed the box towards her and Martha picked it up visually examining the outside for any clues.

"What did the Doctor have to say about the box?" Gwen questioned. Jack glared at her. 

"The Doctor hasn't seen the box yet, but once he returns I plan on asking him to use the TARDIS to analyze the footage further. In the meantime, we need to gather as much information as possible so we can neutralize the threat," Jack growled at her as he turned his attention to Mickey. "Mickey I need you to get on the computer and research what happened in three minutes and then three hours from the time that he set that box on the steps. Then I want you to go further and see what is happening in three days, three weeks and even three months and three years from now. I don't care how small the details or how insignificant it might seem we need to know everything. Once you have finished going forward in time, I want you to go backward. Find out everything that happened in the same increments."

"I will get right on it, sir," Mickey answered sarcastically reaching towards his coffee. He drained the last of it then stood to go to the coffee pot. Gwen passed him her cup and he took it without question. He refilled her cup as well as his own, then topped off Martha's tea but he was confused to find that Jack had let his own coffee go cold without taking even a single sip. He left it, sitting down beside his wife again.

"Martha I want you to take the box and analyze the blood on it. If he has kidnapped someone or used his own blood it may take us directly to them," Jack told her. 

"Blood analysis can take a while. If someone is in danger we may not reach them in time without having a starting place," Martha informed him. 

"I don't care. Use all the technology that we have access to and cross reference it to every database," Jack snapped at her. He was quickly growing more cranky as he wasn't sure why they weren't taking this problem seriously. Yes, it was a stupid little box, but didn't they realize the threat behind it. 

"Gwen get in contact with the local police. We need to know if anyone has gone missing in the last few days. If the police have their DNA on file pass it to Martha to cross reference against the blood on the box." Jack stood up moving towards the door. "I am going out. If you find anything significant contact me immediately otherwise we will reconvene at noon to discuss any progress that has been made."

"Where are you going?" Gwen wondered as Jack grabbed his coat. 

"To investigate a few anomalies," Jack answered moving towards the door. He just hoped that one of them would lead him to the man who dropped off the box. Getting into his SUV, he peeled out of his parking spot heading towards the first anomaly. He had four locations with anomalies near Cardiff that he would be able to check out before the meeting at noon. In order to find the locations, he had used an algorithm that Tosh had developed to remove the known rift activity. It had since been modified by the Doctor to include known places that housed aliens. While it didn't show any activity near the hub at the time of the man's appearance, Jack still had hope that it would, at least, lead him to one of the man's hiding places or at the very least someone who knew where the man was. There was also a part of him that faintly hoped still that it would lead him to the Doctor.

He swore as he swerved around several cars nearly missing the last one. He honked the horn at them, making a rude gesture at the driver before swerving into the next lane. He only realized that he was driving down the wrong side of the street as another car approached him. Not bothering to use his turn signal, he swerved back into the correct lane cutting off several cars in the process. He smiled as he could almost hear the Doctor chastising him for his reckless driving and slowed to a more reasonable speed. He made it to his first destination, skidding the vehicle to a stop. A quick glance revealed nothing and he didn't waste time getting out of the SUV to take a closer look. Swearing under his breath, he threw the vehicle into reverse. He leaned on his horn as he cut off several trucks getting back on the highway. The next three spots were all the same, adding to Jack's frustration. He considered heading to the next destination but a quick glance at the time informed him that he needed to head back to the hub. Making a u-turn he swerved back into traffic.Though his driving was more controlled he seemed even angrier due to the fact they didn't find what he was looking for. Reaching the hub a half an hour late, Jack got out storming into the building.

"Who want's to start," Jack snipped as he took his seat in the meeting room. Everyone was already there waiting for him as they took a much-deserved break. There were two pizzas sitting partially eaten in the middle of the table. Jack reached over taking a slice as he joined them. He didn't sit right away, instead, he headed over to the coffee maker to get himself a drink. 

"The box that you gave me tested positive for blood," Martha spoke up. "I have already ruled out that the blood isn't human and I am currently trying to determine just what species of animal or alien it is. In the meantime, I am also separating out the DNA, so if it comes back positive as being alien we can reach out to the community."

"How long will that take?" Jack questioned as he took his seat at the head of the table. 

"I will have an answer for you within twenty-four hours," Martha responded. Jack groaned. "I will update you as soon as I have anything conclusive, but I can't go any quicker or I risk destroying the sample and having to start again which will take even longer."

"Fine, Gwen what did the police say?" Jack asked her. Even if the blood wasn't human that had been used to write on the box there was still the factor of the skeleton inside. They would have to continue to treat this as a possible missing person's case until Martha was able to determine otherwise. 

"Two people have been reported missing in the last twenty-four hours. One they believe is just a runaway teen. The other person is a male in his mid-twenties who went missing two nights ago. They are currently looking into several leads and Andy will update me as soon as he knows anything," Gwen explained. 

"What about outside of Cardiff?" Jack questioned. 

"I have spoken to several police stations. One had a girl who went missing and she has since been found. Another is looking at a missing woman, though, their main suspect is the husband," Gwen told him looking at her notes. 

"Isn't it always the husband?" Mickey asked. 

"Usually," Gwen agreed. 

"Alright, that leaves you, Mickey. What have you found out?" Jack wondered. Mickey opened his laptop pulling up his notes. It was surprising how much information he had found that happened in the increments that Jack had suggested. There were missing people, brawls, car crashes, movie releases, news and weather reports, among many other things. It was a long list and to give Jack all the information would have taken all afternoon, so he highlighted a few items from each category that seemed significant. 

"There was a small earthquake in the North Sea that barely measured on their instruments. Also, the news is reporting that a storm is heading our way in three days time. They are saying that it is going to bring thunder and lightning as well as several inches of rain. They are advising that everyone stock up on food and water just in case power is lost during that time," Mickey advised the group. He didn't know how significant it was to what they were looking for but he didn't want his pregnant wife to be out in the storm if he could help it. 

"Anything else?" Jack inquired as the information seemed useless.

"Nothing significant," Mickey responded passing the computer Jack's direction. Jack took it looking over the information that Mickey had laid out. He highlighted several items, including the storm. In three days time all the evidence of the person or thing they were looking for would be washed away in the rain. They were going to have to work quickly to find them before it was too late. Calling the meeting to a close, Jack hurried to his SUV again. He turned on the engine and sped out of his parking space. Pulling up the map on his phone, he hurried towards his next destination.


	4. Chapter 4

With Jack gone everyone returned to their assigned task. Even if Jack didn't seem happy with their findings, they still had a job to do and with the rift slow at the moment, it wouldn't hurt to waste time on Jack's project. Gwen, choose to set out shortly after Jack to contact a few of the police stations in person as they refused to talk to her over the phone. That left Mickey to continue his research on what was happening in the world while keeping an eye on the rift. Mickey just hoped that Jack would realize that the box meant nothing before the rift became active again as he was going to need Jack's help in retrieving the artifacts. Kissing Martha softly, he returned to his place at the rift computer while Martha headed down to her lab to continue to analyze the blood on the box.

The blood had finished separating and she took out a small sample placing it on a slide to run against known animal species on earth. She took out a second sample placing it in a separate tube and making sure that she had a sufficient amount of DNA to analyze properly. Placing the blood under the slide, though, she noticed there was something strange about it. Worried that she had accidentally contaminated the sample, she had the computer run a basic analysis on it. While she waited for the sample she swapped the sides and the inside of the box looking for fingerprints or other DNA samples besides the blood. She knew that Jack and Mickey had touched the box as well as herself so to be safe she ruled out their fingerprints first. That left one partial print that didn't register. She set the system run it against every database available then picked up the box again. She was in the middle of removing a sample of dirt when the computer beeped that the blood analysis was ready. She finished extracting the sample and then turned to the computer. 

"No, no, no," Martha whispered to herself as she stared at the analysis. There were many things that could have been wrong with the sample, but the last thing she expected was for the DNA to come back as being a triple helix. No creature on Earth had a triple-strand helix. In fact, it was rare to find anything more than a double-stranded helix throughout most of the universe. Except in one species. She ran the DNA against the sample that she had saved in the system from his last blood test as she prayed silently that the results would come back negative. It didn't take long for the system to confirm her fear. She ran the test twice more to be sure of the results, each time it came back a match. Pulling out her cell phone she dialed Jack's number with a shaking hand. 

"Yes," Jack snipped as he answered the phone. His voice sounded distant indicating that he had her on speaker phone rather than the headsets that they usually used. 

"I have gotten the blood results back," Martha informed him. 

"And?" Jack wondered as Martha paused. 

"Maybe you should pull off to the side of the road," Martha suggested. She really didn't want Jack to get into a car accident regardless of how fast he healed or if he would come back.

"Just tell me," Jack growled angrily at her not in the mood to play games. 

"It's the Doctors," She responded. She heard Jack draw in a deep breath. He had been irritated with the Time Lord for not returning to him last night and now he felt guilty for that irritation because the Time Lord was in trouble.

"Are you sure?" He asked feeling his heart miss a beat. Over the phone, Martha heard Jack swear then the screeching of tires. Cars were honking in the background and she heard Jack swear again.

"Are you alright?" Martha wondered.

"I'm fine. Just answer my question," Jack snapped though he no longer sounded as angry.

"Not only is the blood a triple helix which isn't found in any animal on earth, I also ran the sample several times against the DNA sample that we have on file. There is a %99.9 chance that the blood is his," Martha replied. 

"I am on my way to check the last few anomaly sites on my map, then I will be back to the hub. In the meantime, I want you to go over every centimeter of that box looking for anything that will lead us to the bastard responsible for this," Jack ordered her. 

"I'm already on it," Martha replied. 

"Get Mickey on the footage from the camera. I want him to go through it frame by frame to see if he can find anything that we missed the first time. Tell Gwen that I want her outside going over the entire Plass to see if she can find an evidence that the man left behind," Jack told her. 

"Gwen is out talking to the Police stations," Martha responded. 

"Call her back to the hub," Jack snipped. "Now we know whose blood it is, our priority is in figuring out who took the Doctor and where he is. I don't care if we have to work double shifts for the next three days, we are going to find him."

"Yes sir," Martha sighed. Whether or not Jack heard the exhaustion in her voice was unclear as he disconnected the call. As he did, she heard him swearing again and hoped that he made it back to the hub with the SUV in one piece. Standing up, she groaned as she made her way out into the hub to inform the others of the bad news.

-DW-

His legs were cramping painfully and he was desperate to stretch them. He wasn't used to being in one place for so long as he took to running every chance he got. He tried to adjust but there was no room in the tiny box, causing the pain to grow worse. It trailed up through his backside and settled in the base of his spine. He tried not to think of what those men did to his body as he instead focused on his other injuries that he had caused himself fighting to get out of the box. His fingers ached and examining them with his thumb he found that he had broken at least one of them. He hissed as white hot pain shot through his finger when the nail bent back. He stopped checking his fingers, trying desperately to ignore the pain in his body as he listened for any movement outside the box. 

He heard nothing, though. The everyday sounds of London were muted to the overwhelming silence that accompanied the darkness. The only sounds that he could hear were the shallow breaths he was taking along with the steady beats of his hearts. He screamed into the quiet desperate to hear anything else besides the silence. His mouth and throat were quickly dry, though, reminding him of how thirsty he was becoming. Also, to his mortification, he had to pee. He felt as if his body were betraying him by this sensation and he refused to wet himself like a child. He just had to hold out until they let him out of the box. 

"I'll have you know, Ianto, that I am a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey in the Kasatboros System. You have broken several laws by taking me hostage on a level five planet. So you have a choice, you either let me leave or I will bring the Shadow proclamation down here to punish you," The Doctor yelled firmly. He wasn't sure if anyone heard him as there was no reply from outside of the box.

"This is your only chance to walk away from this. You either let me go now or you will find out why I am called the Oncoming Storm." He listened again to the silence. He could feel the dread creeping up on him again that he was going to be in this box until he died. Not wanting to go out without a fight, he began to thrash again. He screamed and slammed himself into the box, desperate to break free. Hitting his head, stars flashed in front of his vision. He groaned in pain letting himself go limp as the fight in him faded. He wasn't giving up not yet. He had to calm down or he was never going to find a way out of here, though. He couldn't concentrate with the pain now in his head so once more he began to scream.

-DW-

"Damn it," Jack swore slamming his hands down on the wheel as he reached the final destination on his list. He had just wasted the entire day looking in vain for the man or the TARDIS and had found neither. Now he had no choice but to return to the hub in order to find out the anomalies for the last few days and try to track them in order to find the Doctor before it was too late. He swore again as he screamed hitting the steering wheel over and over. The horn honked repeatedly and people walking by stared at him as they made a wide arch around the SUV. Jack didn't care, though, he was furious that he had failed to recognize that the Doctor was in trouble when he didn't return to the hub last night, and he was going to kill whoever took him. He threw the car into drive, backing down the alley to make a U-turn. As he did so, out of the corner of his eye he saw her. She was sitting almost completely hidden in the back corner, but Jack had no doubt it was her. Jumping out of the SUV he slammed the door behind himself as he ran to her. 

Approaching the blue police call box, Jack reached out to open her doors. Never before had he felt such a combination of sorrow and elation at the fact that the box was locked. He quickly reached into his pocket pulling out his key ring. Selecting the right one he placed it into the lock, letting himself inside. He stepped in the box, relieved to find that she was larger on the inside. The lights were dimmed, though, as she hummed a sad song. Her thief was lost, scared and in danger and she had no way to help him. Jack walked up to her console, running his hand comfortingly along it. 

"We'll find him," He promised her. He felt her hum through him in a way that was familiar and comforting. He pulled out his cell phone dialing Mickey's number. 

"Tell me you have found something, Jack. I have reviewed the footage from the CCTV several times and still have no idea who this man is or how he got to Cardiff," Mickey informed Jack upon answering.

"I have. I have found the TARDIS. She is located in London which gives us a starting point to begin looking for the Doctor. I want you to access the camera's surrounding her in order to locate the Doctor so we can trace his whereabouts," Jack told him. He gave Mickey the coordinates of the TARDIS. "He landed within the last twenty-four hours so hopefully, he won't be too hard to find."

"I'm on it. Are you going to come back to the hub now?" Mickey wondered as he began to hack the camera system near the location that Jack gave him. It was going to take time as they had built up their firewalls after the last time Mickey had messed with their cameras. 

"No. I am going to see what I can find out here," Jack informed him. He also didn't want to leave in case they were wrong. He wanted to be there when the Doctor returned so that he could hold him while telling the Time Lord how much he loved him. He knew in his heart, though, that they weren't wrong and that his lover was in danger.

"Jack," Martha's voice spoke up over the phone. "If the Doctor has been kidnapped, it may be best if I come there in case he needs medical attention as you can't take him to a regular hospital."

"Alright. Just make sure that you bring the box and your research with you so that you can continue it once you get here," Jack agreed. "Mickey contact me as soon as you know anything." He disconnected the call going to the monitor of the TARDIS. He was going to find out as much as he could while he waited for Mickey's call. Hopefully, it would help them to find the Doctor before it was too late.


	5. Chapter 5

It took Mickey several hours of hacking and reviewing the footage before he was finally able to locate the Doctor coming out of the alley at the coordinates that Jack had given him. The Time Lord was holding a small device in his hand staring at it as he strolled confidently down the street. He didn't bother to look at where he was going just expecting people to weave their way around him. It was obvious, though, that he was still paying attention to where he was going as he caught a ball that escaped from a little boy. He smiled taking it over to her and kneeling down to hand it back. 

Mickey watched on for a while, feeling that he was intruding into the Time Lord's life, but knowing that he had no choice if he wanted to find him. The Doctor just continued walking for awhile, though, before suddenly stopping at another alley. He looked down it, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his sonic. He scanned heading deeper into it. Mickey couldn't find a camera angle that let him see what was happening in the alley but not even five minutes later the Doctor emerged again. Except now he was being supported by a strange man that Mickey had never seen before. He was sure he would have remembered the man if he had as the right side of the man's face and neck were badly scarred.

He half carried, half dragged the limp Doctor to a nearby car, unceremoniously shoving him into the back seat. One of the people standing nearby started yelling and tried to confront the man. Mickey couldn't tell what was being said, but after a minute, the man nodded before letting the Doctor's abductor get into the car. Mickey wanted to scream at the man as he watched on unable to stop what had happened. Didn't the man realize that he had just assisted in the kidnapping of someone? The man obviously felt something still wasn't right as he wrote down the license plate number as the car drove off. Mickey paused the video and took a screen shot of the man's face for Gwen to run through the police database. 

Going back to the video, Mickey started it again following the car as it drove for a few blocks before he was finally able to get a good view of its license plates. He jotted down the numbers so that he could run a trace on them and hopefully find out who owned the car. Picking up his phone he dialed Gwen's number as he continued to track the car's movements.

"Find anything new?" Gwen asked in way of greeting.

"Maybe," he responded. He gave her the car's plate number's as well as text her the picture of the man for her to try to trace. 

"I'll see what I can find out," Gwen promised. Mickey thanked her, watching the car turn off into a rural area. He couldn't trace it anymore due to there being no cameras available. He pulled up a map to find that it was a wooded area outside of London. He compiled the information that he had together, sending it to Jack's email for him to review. In the meantime, he continued to review the footage of the roads. If the man left, he would know and he would find him.

-DW-

"You've got a message from Mickey," Martha informed Jack coming out of the medical lab aboard the TARDIS. She felt as though she were invading the Doctor's personal space by being aboard the TARDIS without his knowledge. That didn't stop her from going to the lab to run the blood test again against the TARDIS's databanks. It had returned the same conclusion, only quicker, that the blood that she held in her hand was indeed the Doctor's. She was still in the process of analyzing the box, though and was thankful for the TARDIS's help in narrowing down where the box may have been.

"About time," Jack replied looking up from the monitor. He went to Martha's laptop and using his vortex manipulator pulled up his Torchwood account. He easily accessed his email, going through the files that Mickey sent him. As he came to the picture of the man who took the Doctor, he felt his blood go cold. 

"That's not possible," He stuttered as he stared at the scarred man. 

"What's not possible?" Martha wondered looking at the screen. She didn't recognize the man on it, but the fear in Jack's eyes made it clear that he did. Jack backed away from the screen, grabbing for the nearest bin as his stomach flipped. He heaved several times, his stomach forcing up all of its contents while his brain tried to figure out how it had happened.

"Get Mickey on the phone. Tell him to go down to the stasis chamber in the autopsy room and confirm that its occupant is still there," Jack snapped at Martha before gagging again. The last time he saw his brother, he had placed him in the stasis chamber to keep him safe until he figured out how to help him. He couldn't figure out how his brother had escaped the chamber and ended up burned. All he knew was that if his brother was free again more people would die before this was finally over. 

"Jack?" Martha started to question not reaching for her phone. She had asked about the chamber before and Jack had informed her that it was broke before ordering her never to ask about it again. The fact that he was willingly talking about the chamber indicated that it wasn't as broke as he originally claimed. 

"That was an order," Jack practically yelled at her. 

"Yes sir," Martha agreed finally pulling out her cell phone. She turned her back to Jack as she dialed Mickey's number speaking to him in hushed tones. Jack still heard her first confirm that he was alright before telling him to check the chamber. She went quiet for a moment, pacing back and forth across the small room. Finally, she thanked him, then turned to Jack again. "The chamber is still locked and displaying that it has one occupant currently located in it. Who is in that chamber, Jack?"

"It doesn't matter. I can tell you, though, that if he has the Doctor then I can guarantee that the Doctor is buried somewhere. We have three days to find him before he suffocates to death," Jack whispered softly. He thought of his lover laying beneath the cool ground gasping for breath. A shudder went through his body as he tried to force the image away.

"Or drowns," Martha shuddered thinking about the rainstorm that was coming and the poor Doctor being trapped below the earth. Jack gagged again reaching for the bin. He clearly remembered spending the thousand of years below the earth dying and reviving every few minutes. The total amount of times that he died blurred together in the end, but the fear he felt every time he had opened his eyes to find that he was still below the earth remained with him. To this day he had trouble sleeping in a completely dark room and felt claustrophobic in tight spaces. He wouldn't wish that fear on anyone else. At least, he would be able to help the Doctor deal with the fear, but only if they found him in time.

He couldn't just sit in the TARDIS and wait for more information, he had to start looking. Using his phone he entered the coordinates for the wooded area that his brother had driven the Doctor to. He could use his vortex manipulator to scan the area for any alien technology that might be located on the grounds. Once they found the Doctor, he would go after his brother and stop him before he could hurt anyone else. He headed to the control room to exit, but Martha headed him off. She stood in front of the doors blocking them with her body to stop him from leaving. 

"I will go through you Martha," Jack threatened. Martha narrowed her eyes at him. 

"I know you could. I also know that you would never hurt me, especially because I am pregnant. So why don't you slow down a minute and tell me who that man is so that I can help you find him," Martha told Jack. 

"I'm not going after the man, I am going to find the Doctor before it's too late," Jack responded stepping closer. Martha crossed her arms at him still not moving.

"Jack," She rolled his name out in annoyance. Jack sighed. They were going to find out eventually anyways. He had kept his brother a secret for so long, though, that talking about him was difficult. Not even the Doctor knew that his brother was alive. Maybe if he had just told him, the Doctor would have been more cautious about approaching him. Jack sighed, blaming himself wasn't going to get his lover back nor stop his brother. He took a deep breath as he looked at Martha. 

"He is my brother," Jack informed her after a long moment. Martha's eyes widened in surprise.

"Do you know where he is?" She questioned. Jack nodded. "Where?"

"In the stasis chamber inside the autopsy room," Jack replied. "I just don't know how he eventually gets out and ends up burned. I can't worry about that now, though. Every minute that I stay here is another that the Doctor is closer to death. We have a location that he may be in and if we hurry we can find him before the rain starts." 

"I'll help you to find him, but we can't just rush out there empty handed. We are at least going to need a couple of shovels to dig him out. I am also going to need my medical bag as well as an oxygen tank. If he is buried his blood oxygen level is going to be low regardless of whether or not we find him quickly. Even if they set a tube into the ground to provide him air, that tube can easily become clogged by bugs or dirt especially if it is narrow," Martha informed Jack. Jack stared at her in surprise. 

"It sounds as if you have given thought to this in the past," Jack told her. Martha shrugged. 

"While I was walking the earth, I helped dig people out of a tunnel that collapsed during an escape attempt. They weren't beneath the ground nearly as long, but we still ended up transporting several of them to a makeshift hospital to be treated for a few nights. After the year was over and I was accepted to UNIT, I studied other larger collapses in tunnels and mines so the next time it happened I would be better prepared to help the survivors," Martha explained. Jack nodded reaching out to wrap her in a hug. She hugged him back tightly, trembling softly over the memories. 

"Go to the medi-bay and gather up the supplies you are going to need. I am going to find the Doctor's store room. I am sure that he has a shovel or some other digging implement in it. We will meet back here in ten," Jack told her. 

"You won't leave without me?" Martha questioned hesitantly. 

"No," Jack responded. Believing him, Martha released him hurrying to the medi-bay. She quickly filled a bag with all the supplies that she might need and then grabbed a small portable oxygen tank. Returning to the control room, she was surprised to see Jack waiting for her with a shovel by the door. He took her bag from her carrying it out to the SUV. Throwing it into the back along with the shovel, he went around to the front climbing into the driver's side. He waited until Martha was safely buckled in the passenger's seat before starting towards the woods. Unlike when he was alone in the SUV, Jack drove carefully as he sped on his way. Together they were going to find the Doctor, he was sure of it.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack drove as quickly as he dared towards the wooded location that Mickey had sent him. Despite wanting to, he didn't swerve around traffic in his eagerness to be reunited with the Doctor not wanting to risk Martha nor the unborn child growing in her stomach. Martha had fertility problems from injuries that she received during the year that never was and this child was their miracle. He would never forgive himself if he took the baby from her and Mickey that they never thought they would be able to have. 

"Turn here," Martha informed Jack as she watched the GPS. Jack swung down the dirt road that had been tampered down from years of use. The trees were large and foreboding as they grew closer. Reaching the edge of the woods, Jack stopped the SUV. He hit a few buttons on his vortex manipulator scanning for alien technology. He received a single from within the woods and his heart leaped with anticipation. Putting the car back into gear, he sped towards the signal.

"He's here Martha, I just know it," Jack told her happily. He had to drive slower in the woods as the road twisted and turned unexpectedly in several places to avoid hitting the trees. Finally, they reached a small clearing. Jack got out of the SUV scanning again. The alien tech was even closer now and he walked quickly towards it. On the edge of the clearing the ground had been turned showing a freshly dug grave. 

"Here," Martha said holding out the shovel from the SUV. Jack took off his coat throwing it aside before taking it from here. Standing to the side of the grave he began to dig.

"I'm coming, Doc," Jack called out several times hoping the Time Lord would be able to hear him. He listened closely for an answer but the clearing remained silently except for the sound of the shovel scraping the dirt away. He hoped that the Doctor wasn't answering because he had been knocked out but he feared that he was going to open the grave to find that they had buried him without a casket. If that happened he was going to march right into the autopsy room and kill his brother with his bare hands. The Doctor had done nothing to Gray to deserve this treatment from him. As long as the Doctor lived, Gray would continue to live. 

"I've got something," Jack informed Martha as the shovel finally scraped along the wood. Leaning down, he wiped the remaining dirt off of the box. He could see that the wood was relatively new looking. He thought about breaking the lid with the shovel, but then he risked injuring the Doctor. Instead, he got out of the grave and used the shovel to pry open the side of the box. The box opened with a crack that filled the quiet evening but did nothing to mask Jack's scream of frustration. The box was empty except for the Doctor's sonic laying in the corner. Jack swore as he jumped back down into the grave to retrieve the Doctor's precious device. He screamed again in frustration kicking the side of the empty box. He leaned down to pick up the sonic gripping it tightly in his hand. He thought for sure that they had found him and this nightmare would be over for the Doctor. Except now, he was beginning to lose hope that he would ever find the Time Lord alive as they just wasted time the Doctor didn't have digging. Pulling himself out of the empty grave, he grabbed the shovel storming towards the SUV. Turning on the engine he slammed his hands into the horn screaming. 

"Jack," Martha whispered from the backseat trying to get his attention as he threw his fit.

"What?" he snapped angrily at her. 

"Look outside," Martha responded. Turning Jack swore again. Almost as if nature was taunting, the sky opened up and it began to rain. 

-DW-

The water dripped in from the top running down the sides and filling the small space. He could stand colder temperatures than a human but even he had his limits as he shivered in the freezing water. He didn't want to go, not like this. With renewed energy he began to thrash in the shallow water inside the small box. He kicked out, elbowed and twisted his body in a vain attempt to break the encloser. His respiratory bypass finally kicked in and he continued to fight harder as his body was renewed with the oxygen he desperately needed. He heard but didn't feel the sickening crack of a bone breaking as his body went into overdrive. He couldn't scream with his bypass in effect but that didn't stop him from trying as he bruised his body. Despite his efforts, though, the box didn't open and one came to stop him.

His bypass depleted, he took a deep breath feeling the burn of the lack of oxygen in the air. Pain shot through his arm and to his shoulder and he felt as if his entire body were one giant bruise now. He thought for half a moment of placing his face down in the water, ending his life once and for all. He couldn't do it, though. Turning his head the best he could, he looked towards the top of the box as he felt the water rising against his body. It filled the gap between his legs and covered the arm he was laying on. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe inside the box as the water filled it. The lack of oxygen was causing his mind to grow dark and he welcomed the blackness that clouded his thoughts. 

His body glowed with regeneration energy that he pushed back determined that if he had to die, then he was going to greet death as himself. Even if he did regenerate it only bought him a few hours at most. Then what? He would still be stuck in this grave with no hope of escape. Only it would be a new man who greeted his family in the afterlife and a new man whose body Jack eventually found. His hearts ached as he thought of the Captain. He wished more than anything that he was back safe in Jack's arms or at the very least that Jack could hold him as he took his last breath. He imagined himself in Jack's arms, breathing in the familiar scent of the man he loved as he lay in the cold water. Somewhere on the edge of his mind he thought he could hear his mother calling to him. He could almost see her standing on the edge of the red field behind their home. He smiled reaching out his hand to her as he let his eyes drift closed one last time.

-DW-

For the next twenty-four hours, they found no signs of the Doctor as they searched the wooded area desperate to find the Doctor before it was too late. The rain was coming down harder and harder flooding the roads. The weather man was advising people to stay inside but Jack couldn't. If he gave up now, he had no doubt that he would find the Doctor dead. Honestly, he didn't have much hope that he would find the Doctor alive at this point except he had to keep trying. The Doctor deserved more then to die cold and alone in a grave, never understanding why he had been chosen. Jack didn't understand either, but he promised the Doctor quietly that he was going to find out. Eventually, though, they had scoured every inch of that field and Jack reluctantly returned to the TARDIS for dry clothes. 

He sat leaning against the TARDIS railing, flipping the sonic in his hand as Martha showered. He had watched the Doctor use the sonic in the past to locate a missing person. Jack had hoped it would help him to find the Doctor, only he didn't know where to look. Even if he did know where to look, he didn't know the correct setting to begin the search. He felt hopeless as they were nowhere nearer to finding the Doctor then when they started. Nor were they any closer to finding Gray. While he hadn't been a priority they had still searched the rest of the anomalies hoping to catch just one glimpse of him. Jack barely cared as his phone began to ring. He knew it would just be Mickey checking in to tell them he still couldn't find the car or Gwen to let him know that he had no new information on Gray's whereabouts. 

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Martha questioned as she returned to the control room. Taking a seat on the Captain's chair, she pulled the monitor over in front of her to continue going through the data that Mickey had sent. She wasn't ready to give up on the Doctor yet and was desperately trying to find anything that Mickey might have missed. 

"What's the point. All it will be is news that they can't find him and that we failed him," Jack told her. 

"Oi, we can't think like that. Not yet while there is still hope," Martha exclaimed in frustration. 

"Hope?" Jack questioned angrily. Standing up, he walked over to the TARDIS doors throwing them open. Outside the quiet room, the wind was howling as the storm moved over them. The rain came in through the door and a flash of lightening lit the sky. Martha barely began to count when the thunder clapped so loudly it sounded like an explosion. "Does that sound like he has hope to you."

"The man said that we had three days," Martha reminded Jack. Jack let out a bark of laughter. 

"We don't know what he mean by three. He could have just been holding up three fingers as a way of taunting us and making us ask stupid questions," Jack snapped at her angerly.

"Then why did he leave us the clue?" Martha wondered. 

"I don't know maybe because he is sick in the head and I should have killed him when I had the chance," Jack informed her sounding defeated. His phone began to ring again and he reached into his pocket throwing it towards Martha. "You care so much you answer it." He didn't close the doors to the TARDIS as he took up his position by the rail again. Martha flipped open the phone placing it on speaker so that Jack could hear the conversation as well.

"Hello?" Martha questioned when the line remained silent. 

"Martha? What are you doing with Jack's phone?" Mickey questioned his wife. 

"He asked me to answer it while he is busy sulking by the doors because he thinks you haven't found anything yet," Martha replied. 

"We haven't," Mickey answered. 

"Told you," Jack spoke up glaring at her. Martha rolled her eyes at him. 

"We did receive another message tonight. Not even ten minutes ago we found a small clock left on the steps in front of the hub. I am reviewing the footage now but we are positive that it is the same man who left it," Mickey told her. Jack stood up coming towards her as Mickey continued to talk. "Gwen thinks it might be a warning that we are running out of time."

"Or it could just be a useless old clock," Jack snipped as he took the phone out of Martha's hand. "I don't want you to call me again unless you have something that will help me find the Doctor, is that understood?"

"Jack I am positive he is still in that wooded area. I have been reviewing the footage consistently and the car never left the area," Mickey informed him.

"He has a way of traveling between places without leaving a trail. What would have stopped him from jumping as soon as he entered?" Jack questioned. 

"Nothing, but we didn't find his car," Martha reminded Jack. "He wouldn't have been able to take it with him? Would he?" 

"No," Jack answered her slowly. Martha was right but it didn't help them to find the Doctor. Or did it? "Mickey keep us updated if anything else happens. Martha you're with me."

They drove out to the wooded area again. Rather than entering the woods, though, he turned left and kept driving staying out of the trees as he tried to focus. Water pelted the windshield and even with the wipers going he could barely see, but he had to keep going. He kept his eyes focused on the trees until he suddenly slammed on his breaks. Backing up a little he saw an unused access road partially hidden by branches. He turned driving slowly into it. The trees blocked the rain where they were at from coming down in sheets, but the road was still muddy and hard to drive. Jack was careful to avoid large puddles as he made his way deeper into the woods. Finally, he came to a small clearing. 

"Found it," Jack grinned as he saw the car sitting next to an old run down cabin. Jack quickly got out of the SUV rushing around to the back. He was drenched as he started across the clearing looking for any signs of a freshly dug grave.

"Over here," Martha called out finding it first. Jack ran to her. Digging his shovel into the ground he began to remove the mud. It was hard work because the rain kept washing the mud back into the grave slowing down his process. He wasn't about to give up yet, though. Despite finding the last grave virtually empty, he wasn't going to believe this one was as well until he saw it with his own eyes. He kept digging as his fingers blistered and his body ached from the constant movement. His perseverance paid off as he found a wooden box. Jack pried the box open, his heart pounding and his stomach flipping as he looked down into the box. The Doctor was lying partially submerged in the freezing water. His eyes were closed and it was impossible to tell if he was breathing. Jack felt tears filling his eyes, positive that they had failed the Time Lord. 

"Jack," Martha whispered as Jack moved closer to the grave preparing to climb down into it. 

"I can't just leave him down there Martha," Jack informed her the tears breaking free. Martha nodded. 

"Just be careful," Martha told him, her own eyes filling with tears. Despite the circumstances, she wasn't ready to declare the Doctor dead. Not yet. First, she planned on a thorough examination to find any signs of life. 

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," Jack sobbed as he carefully lowered himself into the grave. His hands shaking, he took off his coat laying it over the Doctor's naked body. With great care, he picked the Doctor carefully up in his arms and lifted him out of his watery tomb. He supported the Doctor's head as he laid him gently on the ground above him. He watched Martha drop to her knees beside the Time Lord her hand shaking as she pressed his fingers to his neck. It took Jack two tries to pull himself out of the grave. He collapsed onto the ground next to his lover sobbing as his grief overwhelmed him.


	7. Chapter 7

With both Jack and Martha's attention focused on the Time Lord, neither one of them noticed the man at the edge of the clearing watching them. He stayed just out of sight observing as his brother dug down while Martha watched on. He continued to watch as Jack opened the grave to find the Doctor in his watery grave. While he watched, he amused himself for a moment as he pulled out his gun and aimed it at Martha's head. It would be easy to place a bullet between her eyes before either one of them had time to react. That wasn't what he was here for, though. He was here to observe, so he placed his gun back in its holster without Martha ever realizing that her life was in danger. He waited until the Doctor was lifted onto the grass before pressing a few keys on the manipulator he wore around his wrist. 

Within moments, he had jumped locations. He was no longer standing in the rain-drenched field but in a small house several miles away. The house was simply decorated with white walls that were lined with bookcases. In one corner of the living room, a television was reporting the news to an empty couch. Behind him, the dining room table was set for the evening meal though the house's occupants were unable to enjoy it as they were tied to the chairs in front of the table. The woman had screamed the first few times that he had appeared suddenly in the house but she had long since gone quiet as she watched. Gray paid them no attention as he headed into the office just off of the living room. 

Inside the office, a man with a long black cloak knelt beside the desk. He glanced up at Gray with his red eyes before deciding it wasn't important. He turned his attention back to the small wooden figure that he was slowly carving. Another older man wearing a black suit sat at the desk working on the computer. Unlike the cloaked man, he didn't care who had entered the room as he was busy working. Gray didn't know his name as he had always been told it wasn't important and that he should just refer to him as Mr. Hallet. In fact, there was little that he did know about the black haired man with blue eyes. That was alright, though, because what little he knew was enough. The man had saved him from the burning wreckage that had been his prison and nursed him back to health. 

"They found the Time Lord," Gray reported. 

"It is about time. I thought Jack was smarter than that, still, everything is going according to plan," Ianto replied not sounding surprised as he continued to work. There was more to be done before Jack's suffering would complete."

"With them distracted, I could have easily put a bullet through Martha's head or I could have rigged the SUV to explode before it makes it to its destination," Gray offered. Ianto finally looked up at him. The scar that ran down the man's long face did nothing to subtract from his attractiveness. Still, his eyes were cold as they narrowed.

"No. Martha is to stay alive for now," Ianto answered firmly. 

"Just because she was once kind to you, I don't see why..." Gray began but Ianto interrupted him by slamming his fist on the desk. 

"I said Martha is to remain alive for now and you will obey me or I will have Daemon here show you the same courtesy that we showed the Time Lord," Ianto informed him his voice soft but cold. Gray lowered his eyes.

"I'm sorry Mr. Hallet," Gray apologized immediately. 

"Now, The Time Lord was merely a distraction and Jack went for it just like I expected him too. He never could say no to that alien. He will pay for that, they will all pay. Right now, though, you have a job to do Gray and I expect you to get it done," Ianto hissed angrily at him. 

"I won't fail you," Gray promised. 

"You better not," Ianto responded. 

-DW-

Martha ran her hand along the Doctor's neck looking for his pulse. Not finding it, she placed more pressure, pleading with him silently. She wasn't ready to lose her friend, not yet. Especially not to these circumstances. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought that she felt a weak pulse in the Doctor's neck. It was so weak that she was sure that she was imaging it and it was just her hope that he had somehow survived that was allowing her to feel the pulse. She wanted her medical bag from the SUV to confirm her finding, but she wouldn't be able to examine the Time Lord properly in this downpour.

"Jack, listen to me, we need to get him out of the rain and into the SUV," Martha told him. Jack nodded weakly pulling himself to his feet as he continued to sob. Leaning down, he scooped his lover up into his arms holding him carefully against his body. He felt Martha take his arm guiding him towards the back of the SUV. Climbing into the back, she laid the back seat down so that the Doctor could be laid out on the floor. Jack laid him down gently in the SUV, supporting his head carefully as he did. Grabbing her stethoscope out of the bag, Martha put the buds in her ears listening to the Doctor's chest. She breathed out a soft sigh of relief as she heard the gentle beating of the Doctor's hearts. 

"Jack," Martha spoke up trying to get his attention. Jack didn't respond as his eyes remained on his lover. Taking the earbuds out of her ears she placed the stethoscope to Jack's ear. He didn't resist as she carefully put one of the buds into his ear. His eyes went wide as she rested the metal above the Doctor's heart. 

"He's alive?" Jack questioned hardly able to believe he had made it.

"Just barely, if we don't get him help soon, though, we are going to lose him," Martha answered. "I need you to get us back to the TARDIS as quickly as possible so that we can tend to him probably while I try to stabilize him."

"Alright," Jack answered. He leaned down to kiss the Doctor softly on the head before jumping out of the back of the SUV. He closed the doors carefully as he rushed around to the driver's side. Martha quickly dug through the supplies that Jack kept, she found several rescue blankets and she got the wet coat off of him throwing it to the side. She didn't bother to try to dry his body yet as she covered him with the dry blanket. 

"You need to make sure that you drive quickly but carefully Jack. The roads are a mess and he won't survive if we crash," Martha told Jack as he closed the door to the SUV. 

"I'll be careful," Jack promised starting the vehicle. With them on their way, Martha continued her appraisal of the Doctor's condition. Using the back of her hand, she placed it near the Doctor's mouth and waited. A relieved smile crossed her face when she felt the soft cool air of the Doctor breathing. It was too shallow to allow her to be relieved for long but it was there. Grabbing the small portable oxygen tank she placed the mask over his mouth and nose. She turned it on before reaching into her bag to find a blood oxygen reader. She clipped it to his finger and turned it on. While waiting for the results, she took out a thermometer and placed it in his ear.

"Well?" Jack asked anxiously as he drove trying to keep one eye on what Martha was doing and one on the road. Thankfully the roads were almost empty due to the rain so he didn't have to worry about swerving around other cars in the low visibility. He wasn't going to ask how the Doctor was because it was obvious that he was near death. 

"He is severely hypoxic and hypothermic," Martha explained to Jack. She put her stethoscope back in her ears listening to the Doctor's chest once more. "Both of his hearts are beating but he definitely has fluid in his lungs, which isn't surprising given the circumstances." She gently pinched the skin on the back of his hand watching as it bounced back. "He is slightly dehydrated. We need to get fluids in him as soon as possible." Digging into her bag again, she pulled out an IV bag. She held the Doctor's hand steady with one hand as she carefully inserted the needle into the back of his hand. She would have to move it later as the Doctor hated IVs, but for now, she was more concerned with getting fluids into him. She hung the bag from the handle above the door as she continued her examination. 

"Is he going to make it back to the TARDIS?" Jack wondered as he watched the Doctor. The Doctor's pale skin was slightly blue around his lips and eyes giving them a sunken appearance. 

"I don't know," Martha responded. She picked up one of the other blankets and began to dry him off trying to warm him up. As she did, she noticed that his left arm was swollen just below his elbow. She felt around it but was unable to feel any damage to the bone. She would have to x-ray it when they got to the TARDIS. The blood flow to his fingers wasn't compromised so she just placed a splint on it for him to hold it steady. She wanted to do more for the Time Lord except she didn't have the resources available to her. She ran through his vitals the best she could, unhappy to find they hadn't changed.

"How close are we?" Martha asked moving back to his hands. Several of his fingernails were broken and bleeding and his right index finger was sitting at an odd angle. It was definitely broke and would need to be set.

"We will be back to the TARDIS within a half an hour, forty-five minutes tops," Jack answered. 

"You hear that Doctor, you'll be home soon. You just need to hang in there for a little while longer," Martha told him as she began to run his vitals again. She just hoped that he listened. As Jack drove, however, he could hear the Doctor's breathing change. He was no longer taking the light shallow breaths but now he was wheezing with each struggled breath. Martha turned up the oxygen for him, hoping to make him more comfortable during the drive. Though it wasn't a long trip, it was still time that the Doctor didn't have. Jack put his foot down on the gas willing the SUV to go faster. He was driving faster than was safe in the rainy weather, trying to get the Doctor the help that he desperately needed. 

He didn't know how, but he somehow made it to the TARDIS without crashing and killing the three of them. He jumped out of the SUV, running around to the back and flinging the door open. As gently as he could, he eased the Doctor out of the back of the SUV cradling him in his arms. The Doctor's head was resting nestled against his shoulder and the IV bag was laid on his stomach. Martha carried the small oxygen tank with her as she walked beside them on the way to the TARDIS. Setting down the tank for just a moment, she unlocked the doors opening them wide to allow Jack to enter first. Jack carried him inside intending on going straight to the medi-bay. As he entered, the TARDIS dimmed her lights humming a sad song for her injured thief. She was happy that the humans had found him, but her driver was close to death. She moved the medi-bay closer to the control room, so when Jack stepped into the corridors it was the first door he came to. She turned on a light above one of the beds, and Jack carried him over to it laying him gently upon it. 

Martha immediately set to work to save his life. First, she switched the oxygen line to a larger tank to continue to assist his breathing. She changed the IV bag over to high energy drip that was better for his system before moving to place a catheter. It was then that she noticed the bruising around his hips. 

"Jack, can you retrieve me a couple of thick blankets and a heating pad so that we can get him warmed up?" Martha wondered. 

"Of course, I will be right back," Jack answered. He hurried out of the room leaving them alone for a moment. As gently as Martha could, she moved the Doctor's legs so that she could exam him. His bottom was red and there was a small cut on his anus. "Oh, Doctor. I'm so sorry." Martha apologized as the evidence clear about what happened to him before he was buried beneath the ground. She finished checking for any additional tearing relieved not to find any. Making a mental note to keep an eye on him, she began to place the catheter. 

"He is going to hate you for that," Jack commented returning to the room. He couldn't help but wince as he watched Martha pushing the tube into the Doctor's body. 

"Then he will have to get well enough to tell me to take it out," Martha answered. She finished placing the tube and then took one of the blankets from Jack laying it across the Doctor's body. Stepping back a moment she had the TARDIS do a full body scan so they could see what they were dealing with. Within minutes, the monitor showed that the Doctor's body was covered in bruises from thrashing around inside his enclosure. His wrist was severely sprained and if he were human he would need surgery to repair the ligaments. Being that he was a Time Lord, she wasn't sure. She was going to have to research it but his wrist could wait. His left arm was in fact broken below the elbow and his right index finger was broken in two places. The splints she placed would hold the bones in place for now but they would need to be set soon. At the moment, however, she was more concerned with his lungs. 

Despite being freed from his watery prison, he was still suffocating slowly. His lungs were filled with fluid not allowing him to take in the oxygen his body desperately needed. If she didn't help him clear the fluids, they would lose him. She placed a diuretic medication as well as a sedative to his IV then removed the oxygen mask. Jack held the Doctor's head still while she fed a tube down his throat and into his lungs. She suctioned a lot of the fluid out allowing him to take deeper breaths. He was still wheezing, but he was able to get more oxygen into his body. His temperature had come up a little from the warm room and blankets and she tucked him in making sure that he was comfortable. With him breathing easier, they washed the Doctor's body and set the bones in his arm and fingers. Jack held the Doctor's arm steady as Martha wrapped the cast around it, taking up to almost his armpit and then down to his hand. She propped his arm up on a pillow then placed a splint to hold his finger on his right hand still. With Jack's help, she then moved to his damaged fingernails. He had broken several nails from scratching the wood and Martha had to cut several of them well below his regular nail line before bandaging them. 

"Be honest with me Martha, what chance does he have of surviving?" Jack questioned her as he assisted where he could in bandaging the Doctor.

"His body temperature is rising and so are his blood oxygen levels. Now that he his lungs are cleared he is in better shape, but we are going to have to be careful. He is weak and if he develops pneumonia or any other lung problems we could still lose him," Martha answered. She wasn't going to tell Jack that based on his scans, she didn't have much hope that the Time Lord was going to survive the night. He had surprised her before and she prayed silently that he would again. She didn't want to lose him ever but especially after they had spent the two sleepless days to find him.

"You need to lay down to rest for a little while," Jack informed Martha as she sat down heavily in the chair beside the bed.

"I can sleep later," Martha answered with a yawn. She was exhausted and the thought of climbing into bed for even a short time sounded like bliss. She wasn't about to abandon her patient, though. She could sleep once she was sure that the Doctor wasn't going to need her. 

"You need to sleep now. The Doctor is stable and I can keep an eye on him while you sleep. You need to think about yourself and the baby at the moment, though. You can't keep going like this or you are going to end up laid up in the bed next to him," Jack told her. Martha nodded knowing that he was right. The Doctor was in good hands with Jack. Jack had been trained to be a front line medic and would be able to provide the Doctor with basic care. He was also smart enough to know when he had reached his limit and turn to Martha for help. 

"I am going to lay down in the bed next to his. You are to wake me immediately if he wakes up, needs me or if he takes a turn for the worse," Martha told Jack sternly. 

"I promise," Jack answered. Martha stood up going to the bed. She climbed up on it, stretching out her sore body and closing her eyes. She didn't think she would be able to sleep but within a short time, she was snoring peacefully. Jack, though, remained awake and alert as he continued to sit next to the Doctor's bed. The lights remained bright above the Doctor's bed and Jack knew the Doctor would be grateful for the light once he woke up. Jack still remembered clearly the first few nights, waking up in the hub after being buried beneath Cardiff. It was only the lights on in the room that reminded him that he was free from that nightmare. Even now he still had trouble sleeping in a completely dark room and had to have some sort of light source. 

Reaching out he took the Doctor's hand in his holding it close as he leaned in to kiss the Doctor softly on the cheek. The Doctor's hand remained limp despite how tightly Jack clung to it. He wanted to climb up in the bed to hold his lover and help warm him but he was terrified of hurting him. So instead, he sat as close as possible ready to be there when the Doctor needed him. He had already failed his lover once and he promised silently that he wasn't going to let it happen again. He was going to stay by the Doctor's side as long as possible, but he still had to find his brother and put a stop to the chaos that he was causing. Jack was under no illusion that the Doctor would be Gray's only victim and he couldn't help but wonder what his brother was planning.


	8. Chapter 8

He was slowly coming back into awareness. The warm hand holding his as well as the bed underneath him with the thick blankets covering him almost let him think that the last few days had been a nightmare. Almost as his body hurt and he felt as if he were covered in bruises from head to toe. There was a mask covering his mouth and nose that was blowing toxins that made his lungs burn to breathe. His arm had an IV in it and he couldn't help but wonder what chemicals they were pumping into his system that made it hard for him to move or think. Not that he really wanted to. All he wanted to do was to slip back under into the oblivion that the darkness brought him. 

"Doctor? Sweetheart, can you hear me?" Jack's voice pierced the darkness.

"Ja," The Doctor breathed out not completing the simple word. It hurt to try to talk with his sore lungs. His mouth and throat were also dry from the toxins being blown in his face so he barely managed to get the word out. The fact that Jack didn't reply, also made him doubt that Jack heard him. "Ja," he tried again, still failing to get the word out. Not that it mattered. If Jack was there he would get him away from the people who were torturing him. Jack would save him. Reaching his mind out, he was surprised when he easily connected to the TARDIS. She hummed through him and he relished in the comfort of her song. He felt it clouding his mind allowing him to reach the oblivion of sleep that he desperately craved. His eyes still closed, he drifted off in the safety of her song. 

-DW-

Two, then three hours passed as Jack sat watching the Doctor. There was little change in his vitals as he continued to sleep peacefully under the sedative that Martha had given him. It was almost at the end of the fourth hour since Martha had gone to sleep that the Doctor's hearts began to speed up as his breath became more labored. His hand tightened around Jack's while he showed no other indication that he was waking up. Jack debated waking Martha, but she needed to sleep and he didn't want to wake her if it was nothing. Standing up he continued to hold the Doctor's hand in his. 

"Doctor? You're alright. You're safe now," Jack told him. The Doctor didn't react as a soft whimper escaped his throat. The sound broke Jack's heart as the Doctor wasn't even fully awake and already he was in pain. He held the Doctor's hand a little tighter as he wished that he would have just woken Martha so that she could help him. 

"Doctor? Sweetheart, can you hear me?" He tried again. The Doctor's lips moved slightly, almost as if he were trying to talk, but Jack couldn't hear what he was saying. His mouth moved again, with no words coming out. The second effort must have been too much for him, though, as his breathing evened out and his hand went lax in Jack's once more. Jack looked at the monitors to see that the Doctor's hearts had returned to their steady pace. Jack sat back down in the chair, still holding the Doctor's hand in his. With his free hand, he reached up to wipe away the tears that had formed in his eyes. The Doctor had been in so much pain that he had passed out before fully waking and that didn't seem right or fair to Jack. 

"I will make things right, Doctor. I promise that I will make my brother pay for what he did to you and stop him before he can hurt anyone else," Jack whispered. He knew the Doctor wouldn't agree with him killing his brother and in truth, he didn't want to. It was his fault that his brother had been taken away from his home and family. It was also his fault that Gray had spent years being tortured then returned to kill Jack. Jack deserved every minute that he had spent buried beneath the ground. The Doctor didn't. The Doctor was innocent just like Tosh and Owen had been. He didn't deserve to be buried until he drowned from the rains that were currently flooding Cardiff. No, he deserved to be here safe in Jack's arms curled up in their arms together. 

Jack leaned forward kissing the Doctor softly on the head before releasing his hand. Standing up, he went around the bed to Martha. It wasn't fair to wake her so soon, but he couldn't just sit there anymore. He had already chosen to look for the Doctor over Gray and while he didn't regret his decision, he had to find Gray soon. Before he could hurt anyone else. Reaching out, he gently shook Martha's shoulder. 

"I'm sorry Martha but it is time to wake up," Jack apologized. Martha forced her eyes open looking at him through a sleep filled gaze. She desperately needed to sleep longer and Jack felt selfish for waking her. 

"How long have I been asleep?" She wondered pushing herself to sit up with a yawn. 

"About five hours. The Doctor tried to wake up a few minutes ago but it was too much effort and he passed out again," Jack told her. Martha looked him in the eye.

"That's not possible," She informed Jack. 

"Regardless of whether or not it is possible it happened," Jack replied letting the annoyance come through in his tone. 

"No, I mean it isn't possible. I added a sedative to his IV while I suctioned the water from his lungs. Even without the IV, though, his body was badly damaged from being buried and he is suffering from oxygen deprivation. I don't know what the long-term effects will be, but I can assure you that he didn't just try to wake up," Martha argued Jack. 

"And I can assure you he did," Jack responded. Getting out of bed, Martha went over to the monitors. She looked at the Doctor's past vitals over the last half an hour. She saw, much to her amazement, that Jack was right and that the Doctor had tried to wake up. Over a short period, both the Doctor's hearts had increased in speed. They leveled out quickly enough, though, that Martha wasn't positive that he had woken enough to be aware. 

"Did he open his eyes?" Martha questioned him as she continued to review the information. 

"No. He just held my hand tighter while he tried to talk. I couldn't hear him, though," Jack replied. He watched as Martha ran through the Doctor's vitals. There was little change from the last time she checked them, except for the fact that his body temperature was higher, even if it was still way too low for him. She fixed the blankets around him, tucking him in loosely to try to keep him warmer.

"He is still stable, but other than his temperature being higher, there are no changes to his condition. I am going to top up the painkiller so that when he tries to wake up again, he hopefully will be a little more comfortable," Martha explained going to the medicine cabinet. She pulled out a syringe as well as his pain medication filling the syringe to the maximum dose. Going back to the Doctor's side, she gave him half of a full dose, pocketing the rest. "There now, that should make him feel a little better. When he wakes up again try to encourage him to open his eyes and maybe have a drink of water."

"He is going to be unhappy with water and want a hot cup of tea," Jack informed her.

"He can have tea once we are sure he is able to swallow properly," Martha responded. Changing his mind about going after Gray, he took a seat in the chair again. The Doctor was waking up and it was obvious that he was going to need him. Taking his hand he watched closely as he waited for the Doctor to return to them.

-DW-

Gray knelt against the wall as he watched the TARDIS for any sign that her occupants were leaving. In his hand, he held a bundle of wires that he was attaching to a small device. Though the wind was still blowing fiercely drenching him in with rain, he didn't mind it. He had been through worse when he was captured as a child thanks to his brother. Jack had let go of his hand when he had trusted him to keep him safe. That didn't matter now because with Mr. Hallett's help he was going to make him pay. He was going to suffer the same way that Gray had suffered all those years before he finally managed to escape his tormenters. He attached another wire to the device and a light turned on the front of it. He smiled as he walked over to the wooden box placing the device against the outside. 

"Goodbye Jack," Gray whispered as he set the timer for five minutes. Moving away he retreated to the other side of the street. It was harder to see the box through the rain, but he knew that the wood would not stand up against the explosion. He counted down silently to himself as he waited humming an upbeat song from his childhood. He could no longer remember the words to the song, but that didn't matter. When the countdown in his head reached zero, he had to wait for another moment before he heard the explosion. The box rocked as fire lapped at it. He watched the box disappear and smiled to himself. Hurrying over he saw that the box was just laying on its side, undamaged except for the black soot that covered where the device had been. 

"That's not possible," he screamed angrily. Seething, Gray kicked the box as hard as he could. There had to be a way to destroy the box. Mr. Hallett said it was possible and he trusted Gray to accomplish the task. He couldn't return to Mr. Hallett and tell him that he had failed. No, he had to try again. Right now he had to move, someone would have heard the explosion and called the police by now. The last thing he wanted to do was answer their questions. Punching a few numbers into the manipulator on his arm, he disappeared right as the door to the box opened.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack was still sitting by the Doctor's bed, holding his hand tightly, when a loud explosion echoed through her. Jack barely had time to react as the TARDIS tilted onto her side spilling her inhabitants towards the back of the medi-bay. They crashed against her wall, Jack trying his best to stop them from falling as the Doctor was thrown out of his bed. His head hit the wall with a sickening thump and blood immediately began to seep out from a cut on his forehead. Jack barely managed to miss landing on the Time Lord but was unable to stop the bed from landing on his casted arm. The mattress fell covering him from Jack's sight. Jack swore under his breath as he crawled over to the Doctor. He pushed the mattress off the Doctor with ease, then carefully maneuvered the bed off his arm. The Doctor didn't respond as Jack pressed his shirt sleeve against the cut in an effort to stop the blood. 

"Martha," Jack called out worriedly as he looked around for the medic.

"I'm here," Martha replied, moving gingerly from the other side of the bed. She was holding her side, but she still moved towards them. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I need to find out, but he hit his head, Martha," Jack told her. Martha nodded moving closer. Taking out her penlight she used it to check the Doctor's pupil response. Both of his pupil's responded normally, but she wouldn't be happy until she could run him through the MRI and she couldn't do that with the TARDIS laying on her side. Reaching over she pulled the Doctor's oxygen tank closer, straightening the mask that covered his mouth and nose. 

"His pupils are responding normally, but we need to fix this and get him back into bed. His body can't take much more abuse at the moment," Martha told Jack sadly. Reaching up she moved Jack's arm so that she could see the cut. Even though it was still bleeding profusely, it was small and she would be able to seal it with glue. 

"Stay right here close to the wall, that way when I straighten her back up you won't fall again," Jack informed her. He stood up intending to push a few things out of the way as well so they didn't get hit by falling debris as she was fixed. He looked for a way up the wall and saw a rope dangling from the doorway. Silently thanking the TARDIS, he used the rope to scale the wall. Jack was thankful that the medi-bay had been moved close to the control room as he made his way from one room to the other, hurrying as quickly as he could. The control room's lights were red and a bell was sounding through out it, showing her distress. Jack ran a hand comfortingly along her wall as he caught his breath a moment from the first climb. He then tied the rope into a loop, throwing it up towards one of the many corals. The rope missed on his first throw but caught a lever on the console on the second toss. Hoping that he didn't accidentally send them anywhere, he used the rope as well as the grating to climb his way to the captain's chair. From there he pushed his way up to the side of the console that was facing up. He threw the rope again looping it around the railing on the ramp and from there finally made it to the doors. He unhooked the rope from the doors of the TARDIS, pushing them open to the outside world. Rain fell in through the door as he lifted himself out. 

"How the hell did you fall over?" He asked the TARDIS once he was outside and she hummed angrily at him. He was tired from his climb and wanted to rest for a moment, but first, he needed to help the Doctor. It took all the strength that he had as he managed to lift the TARDIS, placing her back upright. He could hear sirens in the distance as he examined the box for any explanation as to why she fell over. He found it in the form of a few metal pieces on the ground as well as a black mark on the bottom by the doors. It was obvious that his brother was trying to kill the Doctor, but the question was why. Not that it mattered, Jack was going to keep the Doctor safe as long as it took to capture his brother. 

"I'll make you pay for this Gray," He called out into the empty street. "I promise you will pay." Going back in he slammed the doors to the TARDIS as he hurried back to her console. It was no longer safe in this alley and he had no choice but to try to move the TARDIS. He had never driven her on his own, but he had to try.

"It's no longer safe here. I want to move him to Cardiff, where I can better protect him. Will you help me?" Jack asked her. The TARDIS hummed blowing warm air on him. He then felt a slight mental nudge encouraging him over to the monitor. Jack hurried over to it, seeing a short list of instructions. He input the coordinates with the TARDIS's help then set her to emergency mode. Pulling the hand break she rocked as he sent her on her way. It didn't feel right without the Doctor in the lead, but at least he would get the Doctor to safety. Without thinking about it, he ran towards the medi-bay.

"Where are we going?" Martha questioned as she struggled to straighten the bed on her own. 

"Cardiff," Jack answered, rushing over to help. Together they fixed the bed and Jack leaned down picking the Doctor up in his arms. He tenderly laid him down on the mattress, covering him back up with the thick blankets while Martha went to make sure the MRI wasn't damaged. The Doctor's forehead was no longer bleeding as much but still needed to be glued. Jack decided to take care of it for Martha as he went to the cupboard to retrieve the glue. He returned to the Doctor's side, pinching the skin closed as he put a small line of glue on the cut. Releasing the cut, he moved his hand seeing the Doctor's eyes were open a crack looking up at him. 

"Jah," He moaned, the word almost silent in his breathlessness. "Ow."

"I know, I'm so sorry, sweetheart," Jack started to tell him, but the Doctor's eyes drifted closed again and his breathing evened out. Jack sighed straightening his blankets. Next time, he hoped that the Doctor stayed awake long enough for Martha to examine him and help him. For now, he was going to have to let Martha know that the Doctor was still in pain. The Doctor didn't need the additional pain when they were supposed to be helping him. They were doing a hell of a job so far as he couldn't even wake up properly due to the pain that he was in and had a cut on his forehead in addition to his bruised body. 

Leaving the Doctor's side for another moment, he went to get a warm wet cloth. He didn't like seeing the blood on the Doctor's face and he cleaned it off with gentle movements. The oxygen mask had been adjusted and he checked the catheter to make sure it hadn't tugged or snagged when the bed fell. As he moved the blankets he saw the bruising on the Doctor's hips. He gently traced the outline with his fingers as he seethed quietly. Martha hadn't mentioned the bruises but he wasn't stupid and could tell that they were fingerprints. He straightened the blankets again tucking his lover in. As gently as he could, he brushed the Doctor's hair off his forehead dropping a kiss to the only part of his head that wasn't cut or bruised.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you but I promise you, sweetheart, I will make it right," Jack whispered.

"The MRI is ready," Martha stated coming back into the room. Jack didn't look at her as he continued to stare at the Doctor.

"Why didn't you tell me about the bruising on his hips?" Jack wondered softly. Martha sighed softly. 

"Because I was more concerned about his lungs and making sure that he lived through the last few hours. I planned on telling you about the bruising, but I wanted to wait until we could sit down and discuss his care. He is going to need physical therapy on his arm and it would be good if you could get him to discuss what happened. If he won't talk to you then I will look into bringing in someone to talk to him," Martha advised him.

"He won't talk to anyone else and we both know it," Jack informed her. He rubbed the tears from his eyes with the back of his hands before straightening up to look at her. "That doesn't change the fact that you should have told me as soon as you noticed the bruising. Is there anything else that you aren't telling me?"

"He has slight tearing on his anus," Martha spoke up. Jack took a deep breath seething at her words. All the indications that he had been raped were there and he wanted more than anything to go back in time and stop his brother from hurting the Doctor. He couldn't change time, though. What he could do is stop it from happening to anyone else. 

"You had no right to hide this from me," Jack seethed. 

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this, Jack, but I was going to tell you," Martha apologized. Jack made a scoffing sound with his mouth showing that he didn't believe her. "Now, can you please help me wheel him to the MRI so I can make sure that the fall didn't cause him any additional damage." 

"His MRI can wait. He woke up while you were setting up the machine, so while I still agree he needs his head scanned, you take priority at the moment. So hop up on the bed so that I can perform an ultrasound to make sure that you and the baby are alright," Jack told her. Martha ignored him going to the Doctor's bed. 

"I'm fine," She replied. 

"Don't lie to me. I saw you holding your side after the TARDIS tipped. You have to take care of yourself if you are going to take care of him properly. If there is something wrong with you or the baby, I can see about bringing in another doctor from UNIT to help you in the meantime. Now lay down so I can examine you properly or I will place you on medical leave until you are able to get medical clearance in order to work," Jack snipped at her. He hadn't meant to yell at her, but everything that was happening was starting to weigh on him. He just wanted this to be over. He wanted to find out how his brother escaped the stasis chamber and get the Doctor back on his feet.

"Fine," Martha agreed knowing that she didn't have a choice. She was making her way to the bed next to the Doctor's when the TARDIS landed with a thud causing the entire medi-bay to shake again. Martha stumbled and Jack caught her before she hit the floor. He lifted her easily up onto the bed next to the Doctors. The TARIS scanned her stomach and displayed her vitals on the screen. The door to the medi-bay opened as Mickey entered it. His eyes glanced over to the sleeping doctor but immediately settled on his wife laying on the bed. 

"What happened?" He asked in concern rushing over to be by her side. 

"The TARDIS tipped over and Martha hit her side. I am just performing an ultrasound to be safe and make sure that the baby is alright," Jack explained to Mickey. Mickey took Martha's hand holding it tightly as he leaned down to kiss her knuckles. Martha smiled at him weakly. Despite her trying not to show it, she was just as worried about the baby as Jack was. If she focused on her stomach than she was going to break. With Mickey there, though, she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. She never thought that she was going to be able to get pregnant and wanted this child more than anything else in the world. She watched as Jack squirted the cold gel onto her stomach and ran the wand along her abdomen. Jack wasn't used to performing ultrasounds so Martha had to guide him. He found the baby and with Martha's help took measurements. The baby was still growing and thriving making both Martha and Mickey breathe a sigh of relief. 

"I'm sorry I woke you earlier to tend to the Doctor," Jack told her looking at the screen. The TARDIS was recommending that Martha go on bedrest for the remainder of the day and Jack wasn't about to disobey her advice. "You need to worry about yourself and the baby, so you are on bed rest until tomorrow."

"What about the Doctor?" Martha questioned looking over at the bed next to her. The Doctor's breathing wasn't sounding any better and she worried that he was going to develop pneumonia. 

"I can take him to the MRI and give him the medications he needs. He is stable at the moment so unless there is a medical emergency with the Doctor, I can tend to him for awhile," Jack informed her handing her a cloth to wipe off her stomach. With Mickey's help, she got settled in the bed while Jack cleaned up the ultrasound machine. He placed it off to the side in case it was needed later. Going over to the Doctor's bed, he checked his vitals before releasing the wheels to take him over for an MRI. The Doctor didn't wake while the TARDIS confirmed there was nothing new wrong with his head. She showed that he had several bruises that were to the bone in his arms from fighting the wooden casket. Martha was able to see the information on her monitor from the MRI. It told only a small amount of what the Doctor went through by being buried alive. She reached out touching the screen as tears once more filled her eyes. 

"He is going to be fine," Mickey tried to reassure her. 

"He always is," Martha answered. She just hoped that this time he was right.


	10. Chapter 10

Gray stood in the house that had became their refuge the last few days. He liked the simple house, but Mr. Hallet had told him from the start not to get attached to any one place. They would have to move on at a moments notice, leaving no trace that they had ever been in the home in their wake. Mr. Hallet had already moved onto their next destination leaving him behind to clean up the mess that was made in the home as punishment for failing to destroy the TARDIS. The Welshman did not tolerate failure and Gray knew that the punishment could have been worse. 

"We won't tell anyone you were here," The woman promised as Gray approached her. The man remained silent, though, as the gag kept him from speaking up. He wished that he had ignored the man helping his friend into the car several days ago. His wife always told him that he would end up getting himself into trouble and she was right. 

"I know you won't," Gray agreed with a sinister grin. It was time to leave his second message for his useless brother.

-DW-

Everything hurt. The pain radiated from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. He could feel pain relief in his body, but it did nothing to alleviate his suffering as his body begged him to regenerate. His cells were singing with regeneration energy and he feared that if he opened his eyes that his hand would be glowing with a yellow light. If he gave in, his face would be different but he would be able to breathe without his lungs being on fire. If it wasn't for the fact that he saw Jack standing on his TARDIS the last time he managed to open his eyes he would have sworn that he was breathing in chemicals. He took comfort in the fact that he could still feel them both close to him. The TARDIS wrapping herself around his mind trying to comfort him. While the uniqueness that was Jack offending his Time Lord senses in a way he came to appreciate and love.

"Ow," He moaned as he opened his mouth. He meant to call out to Jack, but the pain overwhelmed him instead.

"I'm right here, sweetheart," Jack informed him his footsteps coming closer as he spoke. The Doctor forced his eyes open but he was unable to see anything through the blurriness that filled his vision. He tried to lift his hand to wipe his eyes, but Jack caught his wrist stopping him. "You need to leave that on."

"Ja," He whimpered softly squeezing Jack's hand as tightly as he could. Despite Jack thinking he was trying to remove the mask, he didn't actually want the mask off. He knew that he was receiving oxygen and with how hard it was to breathe , it would be worse without the mask. 

"Shhh, don't try to talk. I know your feeling horrible sweethearts. Martha has given you a half dose of painkillers. I can give you a more if you need it," Jack told him, gently rubbing the back of his hand with his thumb. 

"Yeah," the Doctor sighed not sure how he was supposed to answer if he wasn't allowed to talk. Jack released his hand even as he tried desperately to keep the contact. He felt Jack take his other arm turning it so that he could better reach the cannula. He tried to keep breathing as he waited for the medication that would bring his relief. Tears filled his eyes as he kept getting more upset as the relief didn't come. He reached for his eyes again, nearly poking himself as he wiped the tears from his eyes. Jack noticed what he was doing this time. Gently moving his hand, he dabbed at his eyes with a clean cloth.

"Ow," the Doctor cried again. With his energy trying to cause his body to regenerate, his body chemistry was off. He just wanted to slip into the oblivion that sleep would bring but he couldn't with the amount of pain he was still in. 

"How much more of the painkiller did you give him?" Martha questioned from a short distance away. The Doctor rolled his head trying to look at her, but his vision was still slightly blurry despite the bright lights of the medi-bay. 

"Another quarter of a full dose," Jack answered taking the Doctor's hand in his again and trying to provide him comfort. "Do you want me to take it higher?"

"Plea," The Doctor practically begged his lover. He didn't care how pathetic he sounded, he just wanted the pain to end.

"Bring it up to %90 of a full dose, if that doesn't work we may just need to sedate him," Martha responded from her bed.

"Yeah," The Doctor spoke up hearing the offer. Normally he didn't like people talking about him when he was in the room, but at the moment, he didn't care. 

"You want to be sedated?" Jack asked him sensitively. He nodded his agreement, whimpering as the movement made him feel dizzy. Closing his eyes again, he didn't see as Jack glanced at Martha but she nodded her approval to sedate him. Mickey went to retrieve the sedative from the medical cabinet for Jack so he didn't have to leave the Doctor's side again. He brought it over to Martha first, letting her check that it was the right one before giving it to Jack. Jack drew up the correct dosage and injected it into the cannula. The Doctor felt the sedative clouding his mind and he let it. Closing his eyes he listened to the TARDIS's song as he drifted down below the pain.

-DW-

It took Gwen a few hours but she managed to get the name of the man who made the police report about the Doctor. The police had said they would look into it, except for they had run into a dead end upon finding the car had been reported stolen. Gwen took the man's name driving out to the residence in hopes of being able to talk to the man directly. He was the only one who had spoken to the Doctor's kidnapper and she hoped he would be able to provide information that would lead them directly to the man. As she approached the home, she could see smoke rising in the distance. She put her foot down on the gas as she knew that the smoke was coming from the man's home. Sure enough, as she rounded the corner she could see flames lapping out of the windows. Neighbors were beginning to gather near the home as sirens sounded in the distance. She didn't even think about it as she swerved up onto the curb and jumped out of the SUV. 

Gwen ran into the burning building to see two people laying on the floor of the living room. The man was bound and gagged with both his legs obviously broken making him helpless to get himself out of the home. The woman, though, made Gwen pause. The woman was wearing metal along her arms and down her legs to her feet. There was metal across her chest and along her abdomen forming a circle at her naval. She was wearing a helmet that had two metal rods coming out of the ears and going up to a square block on the top. She had seen the same exact outfit before when the cyber woman tried to kill her inside of Torchwood. In between them was a double-sided arrow with the words saying choose. Gwen didn't even hesitate as she went around to the man's head lifting him under his arms. She had dealt with the cybermen before and her first and only thought was to get him to safety. 

"Don't worry I've got you," Gwen reassured him as the man groaned. He shook his head trying to tell Gwen through the gag to save his wife, but she didn't listen to him. Dragging him towards the door, he screamed through the gag before passing out before they even reached the front porch. Getting him down to the yard, Gwen turned back towards the house. In the window for a brief moment, she saw the man with the black hood and red eyes staring out at her with a sinister smile on his face. He turned and headed away from the window further into the house. She ran towards the door after him, stopping as the flames filled the doorway bursting out the windows. She covered her head from the flames as a fireman rushed to her side. 

"Are you alright?" The man asked her. 

"Fine but there is a woman still trapped inside the house," Gwen answered. The fireman yelled towards the rest of her crew and they took off into the house. Gwen watched as they carried the woman out of the house. The metal armor shone against her body as they carried her towards the medics. Without thinking about the consequences, Gwen hurried after her.


	11. Chapter 11

Gwen used her Torchwood ID to avoid talking to the police about the fire as she tried to get to the woman's side. She gave them a vague story about the couple being under investigation but refused to say for what or allow them to help. She did agree to let their inspectors figure out the cause of the fire. She grew frustrated as the medics took off without her, quickly becoming short with the police who were stopping her. Being the Torchwood liaison she tried to control her temper but it was too late. The officers noticed her temper even as they continued to question her. As the conversation continued, she barely listened to them. She was just eager to get to the hospital and speak to the couple before they had a chance to speak with each other and collaborate a story. Still using her Torchwood status, she made sure that they were put into separate rooms and that she would be allowed to speak with them before any of the police. Finally, getting away from the chaos around the house fire, she sped all the way to the hospital rushing in. It was a waste of her time as the man was still in surgery and the woman unconscious. Settling down in a chair, she waited until she was allowed back to see them. 

"Delilah Oleander is awake. Doctor Johnson will allow you to speak with her for no longer than a few minutes as she needs her rest," the nurse informed Gwen. Gwen stood following her to Delilah's room. Doctor Johnson was still in the room speaking softly to her when the nurse knocked letting him know they were there. He turned coming over to the door opening it and stepping out into the hall. 

"The only reason I am allowing you in my patient's room is because I have no other choice, due to your Torchwood Status. That doesn't mean I like or agree with you being here. You have five minutes to speak with her. Any longer and I will have you kicked out, Torchwood or not. Do you understand me?" Doctor Johnson threatened her as a greeting. Gwen stood taller staring at him. Gwen narrowed her eyes at him. 

"Perfectly," Gwen answered her voice still calm despite being yelled at. She had stood face to face with weevils, Daleks, and Cybermen. A human doctor didn't scare her. Stepping past the man, she entered the room. Delilah was laying almost flat on the bed with her head raised. There was an oxygen mask covering her mouth and nose with an IV in her arm. She had her eyes opened just a crack making it hard to tell whether or not she was awake. Gwen moved closer to the bed and the eyes followed her. 

"Hello, Delilah. My name is Gwen Cooper, I would like to ask you a few questions about what happened today," Gwen told her with a warm smile. 

"They were in our house for days," Delilah answered her voice hoarse. "I thought I was going to die." Gwen reached out taking her hand gently. She held it softly. 

"Who was in your house?" Gwen questioned her keeping her voice gentle. 

"Three men. They tied me and my husband to the chairs and oh god my husband," Deliah cried out, her voice cracking. The monitors showed her heartbeat was speeding up rapidly. She was panicking as the memories resurfaced rapidly and Gwen knew she wouldn't be able to get the information that she needed unless the woman calmed down. She glanced quickly at her watch realizing time was running out. 

"Your husband is currently in surgery. He is alive, but I need to know if you can tell me anything about the men who were in your house. Anything that will help us find them," Gwen asked her. She was trying not to sound heartless but she desperately needed the information. 

"I don't know," Delilah stated her voice growing more frantic. The door to the room opened and doctor Johnson entered with two nurses by his side. 

"That is enough. You need to leave now," he snapped at Gwen moving to his patient's side. 

"I still have a few minutes," Gwen retorted, not ready to leave yet. Knowing that it was three men who invaded the woman's house did her no good unless she had information regarding them. She didn't even know if one of the men who was there was the man they saw kidnap the Doctor. Gwen, though, was pushed out of the room. She went back to the waiting room waiting for Richard to awaken. He was still in surgery and would be for several hours so she had a bit of a wait in front of her. While she waited she had Mickey hack into the police reports forwarding them to her. The initial reports, though, didn't tell her anything she didn't know. All they stated was that the home belonging to Richard and Deliah Oleander had been burned to the ground. The cause of the fire was unknown and the occupants were taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. She could have got the same information from a newspaper. Frustrated, she threw her laptop on the chair next to her as she settled down to wait.

-DW-

The Doctor slept on peacefully due to the sedative for several hours. His breathing was wheezy the entire time, deteriorating even as he slept. Following Martha's advice, Jack topped up the Doctor's painkillers and sedative trying his best to keep his lover comfortable as he slept. To the IV he also added a power antibiotic to help fight whatever infection was brewing in the Doctor's lungs. Regardless of them saving him, he was still dying quickly on them and Jack couldn't allow that to happen. He sat down next to the Doctor's bed taking his cold hand into his own. Behind him, Martha was still resting and Mickey was working on his laptop, looking for information for Gwen. Jack leaned forward kissing the Doctor's knuckles before speaking softly. 

"I know you are hurting, scared and don't understand why this happened to you. I promise it gets easier, though. I can help you deal with the fear, you just need to hold on. Even when it would be easier to let go, just hold on sweethearts," Jack informed him. Kissing his knuckles again, he laid the Doctor's hand back on the bed. He was no longer sitting on the TARDIS staring at the hurt Doctor but back on the Valiant seeing the injured Doctor laying bloody and bruised at his feet. Just like then he was being selfish by wanting the Doctor to hold on despite knowing how much pain he was in. Then it had taken several hours for him to give the Doctor permission to let go. He couldn't do it again. The Doctor didn't deserve to die, not for Jack's own mistakes. 

Standing up, Jack checked the Doctor's vitals seeing that they hadn't changed in the last few minutes. He knew he was being over protective of the Doctor and if the Doctor was awake he would be chastised for it. He smiled briefly as he imagined the Doctor whining that he was fine and it was nothing a banana and a cup of tea couldn't fix. He couldn't just sit at the Doctor's bedside anymore and wait for him to take a turn for the worse. There had to be something else he could do to help the man who had saved him so many times before. Frustrated, Jack left the TARDIS briefly, returning with his own laptop. Taking up his seat once more beside the Doctor's bed, he settled down to work.

He wasn't able to work for long, though, before the Doctor demanded his attention. The steady beeps of the monitor changed becoming more erratic. Jack looked at the screen but wasn't able to figure out what was happening with his limited medical knowledge. One thing he was sure about was the Doctor's vitals were worse than they had been before he was sedated. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a golden light. He looked towards it seeing the Doctor's hand glowing.

"Martha he is going to regenerate," Jack called out as he took a step back. He had never witnessed the Time Lord regenerating before even if he had seen the evidence of it. While he didn't want his lover to regenerate, it was better than losing him completely. He had loved the Doctor when he had big ears and a northern accent and he loved him now. He was positive that he would still love him despite what the Doctor looked like in the future. Yet, he didn't understand why this was happening. The Doctor had woken up and spoken with him, regardless of how brief that conversation had been. That had proved he was getting better but in a very short time, he was dying quickly on them again. 

"What happened?" Martha questioned. Despite Mickey trying to stop her, she pulled herself out of the bed. She slapped Mickey's hand away from her when he tried to take her arm to support her. She was pregnant, not invalid and she could walk the short distance to the Doctor's bed. 

"I don't know. He was resting peacefully and then his hand started to glow," Jack informed her. As she approached the light traveled up the Doctor's arm nearly reaching his elbow. As it traveled, the intensity of it faded until it was just a dull mist of golden light encircling his arm. With no warning, the light faded and the monitor went into a long single beep. 

"Shit," Martha swore rushing over to start CPR. "Don't you dare die on me now Mister." Martha scolded as she began to palpate the Doctor's chest in an effort to restart his hearts. 

"Let me work on his hearts, you try to get him to breathe," Jack told her. Martha nodded stepping aside to let Jack in. 

"His right heart is stronger than his left. Focus on the right heart and we can worry about getting his left restarted next," Martha informed Jack. Jack moved his hands to follow her instructions as Martha grabbed the ambu-bag. Removing the oxygen mask, she placed the ambu-bag over his mouth and nose forcing air into his lungs. 

"Anything I can do?" Mickey wondered feeling helpless as he watched his wife and boss trying to save the Doctor. 

"Take over breathing for him," Martha ordered. Mickey took the ambu-bag squeezing it quickly. "Let it fill before you squeeze the bag. You want to simulate natural breathing." Martha instructed even as she rushed away from the bed. She grabbed several medications out of the medicine cabinet as well as two syringes. Returning to the Doctor's bed, she filled one of the syringes injecting it directly into the vein. The second syringe she filled but set aside hoping that she didn't have to use it. 

"Come on, Doctor," Jack seethed hitting the DOctor's chest harder. It worked as the Doctor's heart began to beat on its own again. It started slowly before steadily picking up pace as they watched. Mickey continued to breathe for him while they watched the monitors afraid that his heart was just going to stop again. 

"Mickey, stop breathing for him and let him try to take a breath on his own," Martha told her husband. Mickey moved the ambu-bag away from the Doctor's mouth and once again they waited. It didn't take long for the Doctor to realize that he was going to have to make an effort to breathe on his own and he took a small breath in, followed by another. His breathing was shallow due to the problems with his lungs but he was breathing on his own again. Martha replaced the oxygen mask over his mouth and nose before pulling out her stethoscope. No one tried to stop her as she ran his vitals, making sure he was stable. They didn't know why he crashed and no one wanted it to happen again. 

"Why didn't he regenerate?" Jack questioned as she examined him. It scared Jack that the Doctor wasn't able to regenerate and he didn't understand why. They had all seen the golden light that covered his arm, then it had faded before overtaking his body. They should have been treating the Doctor in a new body but he was still laying here fighting for his life. 

"His energy is only at %35 now and it was at %50 when he tried to regenerate a few minutes ago," Martha replied with a quick glance at the monitor. "I don't know what he did to cause it to drop that low, but I don't think he can regenerate unless it is higher." As if to agree with her the monitor showed that the Doctor's energy had to be at least 95% for him to regenerate properly. Anything less than that he would struggle and without assistance his regeneration could fail. At %50 it was impossible for him to build up enough energy to change. They had made a critical mistake earlier by not taking his energy levels into account. His body needed that energy in order to heal properly and while she didn't want to get it high enough to allow him to regenerate, she at least wanted to give him a fighting chance. Going to the cupboard again, she pulled out an energy medication as well as potassium that his body could use to convert to energy. She combined the two of them into the same syringe before injecting them directly into the Doctor's shoulder. She once more ran his vitals, before she was satisfied that he was stable again. Yes, he still only had one heart beating and was barely breathing but he was holding his own and they would worry about getting his second heart beating once they were sure he wasn't just going to crash again. 

"You should lay down again if he is stable," Mickey suggested. Now that the Doctor was out of immediate danger, he needed to make sure his wife and baby were alright. Martha glared at him, though, showing that she had no intention of moving far away from the Doctor's bed. 

"I can rest in a chair with my feet up," Martha informed Mickey. She left him no room to argue her as she sat down in Jack's chair. Jack brought another chair over to her, allowing her to prop up her feet as she leaned back to relax. From her position, she was able to watch the monitors as well as the steady rise and fall of the Doctor's chest. Despite him being stable she was under no illusion that he was out of the woods yet. Glancing over she made sure the second syringe was still sitting filled on his bedside table. Regardless of whether or not she wanted to use it, she had the feeling that by the end of the night, she would need it.


	12. Chapter 12

Gwen looked up as footsteps finally approached her. She had been sitting for several hours now, waiting for her chance to speak to Richard. For the first little while she had tried to ignore her laptop but upon growing bored she had taken to working on trying to find out as much information as she could about the couple who were now in the hospital. She wanted to know if there was any reason, beyond the fact that the man had tried to help the Doctor, that would have caused them to become targets. She found nothing, however. Both of them were ideal citizens without so much as an unpaid parking ticket between them. The wife stayed at home caring for the house while the husband worked in downtown London at a restaurant. They didn't have any children between them but Richard had a little girl who lived with her mother in New Haven. 

"Richard is awake and out of surgery. Unfortunately for you, he has been given quite strong painkillers for the pain and will be unable to speak with you at the moment," doctor Johnson told her not sounding the least bit upset about the information. Gwen nodded closing her laptop as she got to her feet. "If you would like, I would be happy to call you once he is able to speak with you."

"I would like to see him now if that is alright," Gwen told doctor Johnson, tucking the laptop under her arm. She didn't wait for a reply as she hurried down the hall. "Good."

"Call security," doctor Johnson advised one of the nurses as he gave chase. Gwen hurried looking into each of the rooms she came to until she found the one with the man she wanted. Both of his legs were in full cast and being supported by traction. He could barely open his eyes as he stared at her in a drug filled haze. 

"Richard, my name is Gwen Cooper. I am here to ask you a few questions about the men who held you and your wife," Gwen explained to him as quickly as she could. She could hear people hurrying down the hall and knew she didn't have long. 

"That's not my wife," Richard groaned confusing Gwen. She had just spent hours looking at information as well as pictures of the two of them. She had no reason to believe that he wasn't married to the woman down the hall. Unless they were planning on divorcing. Gwen didn't get a chance to find out what Richard meant, however, as she was escorted by several men out of his room. She fought them, reminding them that she was with Torchwood the entire time. They ignored her as she had disobeyed a direct order from doctor Johnson by entering Richard's room. It was only because she was with Torchwood that they didn't call the police and have her arrested right on the spot. She was released with a warning that if she entered the hospital rooms again without permission the police would be involved in the future. With no other choice and unable to ask Delilah, she decided to take another approach to finding out what Richard meant by Delilah wasn't his wife. She did take into consideration that he was confused due to the medications he was on from having surgery but she had to be sure.

She got into her SUV, placing her laptop on the passenger side seat, ready to drive back to Torchwood. Normally, she would search the person's house for evidence but with the house being charred that wasn't an option. Thankfully, Torchwood had access to more databases than any other group. With Mickey's help, she would be able to find out if Delilah was really his wife within a short time. Starting her SUV, she looked into the rearview mirror. She couldn't help the scream that escaped as sitting in the middle of the seat was a cyberman helmet. Unbuckling she pulled out her gun as she checked the entire vehicle for evidence that someone else was hiding in it. She found no one, nor did she find any unlocked doors that would have let them in. Climbing into the driver's side again, she saw that the helmet was still there. At least now, she had proof of what she had seen and didn't have to try to convince Jack that she hadn't imagined it. She started the SUV glancing in the mirror again. 

"Stop it," she scolded herself as a shudder went through her body. She couldn't look at the helmet in her backseat as she drove, but she didn't want to touch the thing. Taking off her jacket, she threw it over the helmet before putting the vehicle in gear and starting on her way.

-DW-

Jack sat on the other side of the Doctor's bed debating with himself. He wasn't accomplishing anything by sitting here beside the Doctor's bed but he couldn't bring himself to leave when the Doctor had already crashed once. He feared that if he left the Doctor's side, his hearts would stop again and this time Martha wouldn't be able to bring him back. He would then spend the rest of his immortal life regretting the fact that he had been out searching for his brother while the Doctor drew his last breath in this universe. It would be an easy solution to go into the Torchwood autopsy room and kill his brother while in stasis. He couldn't bring himself to do it, however. Even now, he wanted to help his brother. It was his fault that his brother had been taken when they were children. He was the one who couldn't hold on. 

He leaned forward, taking the Doctor's hand carefully in his own. He ran his thumb along the edge of the cast as he leaned forward to kiss the Doctor's knuckles. He could see the bruising prominently against the Doctor's pales skin. His hand seemed even colder to the touch but a quick glance at the screen showed that the Doctor's energy was only %40. His temperature was always cooler when his energy was low and would remain that way until it rose to the mid-eighties. Releasing the Doctor's hand, Jack reluctantly stood up. 

"I am going to step out for a moment. I want you to call me immediately if anything changes or if you need me here to help you with him," Jack informed Martha. She looked at the syringe that was sitting on the bedside table still before moving her eyes back to the Doctor. His chest rose and fell with every unstable breath that he took as he wheezed even in his sleep. His body was struggling and she was trying to determine if she should suction his lungs again before his body crashed. 

"Can we send Mickey instead? I am going to need your help caring for the Doctor soon," Martha questioned. The last thing she wanted was to be left alone to care for him while Jack chased after his brother. While Mickey was a hard worker and more than capable when it came to computers or working in the field, he was rubbish when it came to medical care. She wanted someone there with her who knew what they were doing and could react without her instructions. 

"I have to do something. I can't just sit here and wait for him to take a turn for the worse again while the people who hurt him are still causing chaos around London," Jack answered. Martha nodded her understanding. 

"Just don't go far," Martha answered. 

"Well he can't, can he. Being that both of your SUV's are currently parked in London," Mickey reminded him. Jack swore silently under his breath. After Gwen returned he was going to have to send her and Mickey north to retrieve at least one of the SUVs. 

"Then I will just take yours," Jack responded. He held out his hand and Mickey dug the keys out of his pocket throwing them towards Jack. He caught them with ease holding them in his hand as he headed to the door of the TARDIS. 

"Be careful," Martha called after him. He didn't answer but raised his hand above his head brushing her off as he continued out the door. Walking quickly, he made his way to the autopsy room first, needing to see for himself that his brother was still there. He entered the code on the chamber, opening it to reveal his brother's body still locked in stasis. He placed a hand on the top of the sealed capsule as he stared at his brother's face. There was no burn scars or any other flaw on his skin. 

"How did you get out?" Jack questioned the frozen man. He wasn't surprised when he received no answer, but then again he hadn't been expecting one. Closing the chamber again, he changed the passcode on it before heading out of the hub. Making sure the door was closed tightly behind him, he made his way over to Mickey's SUV. Placing the key into the lock, he pulled the door open. The sound of an explosion rendered him momentarily deaf as he was thrown backward. Flames burnt the exposed flesh on his face and hands while catching on the fabric of his coat. He felt his back slam against the pavement before everything went black.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack woke up with a deep gasp of breath. His back was soaked with the rain water that continued to pour down on Cardiff and the surrounding area. It did nothing to alleviate the smell of burning fabric as well as the heat against his skin. He could clearly hear sirens approaching in the distance giving him a clear reminder of what had caused his death. Sitting up quickly, he looked at the SUV still smoldering in front of him. He swore loudly as he got to his feet, shedding his burning coat in the process. Flames licked at his trousers, but he ignored them as he stepped closer to the SUV looking for any clues on how the explosives had been set. The heat from the flames burned against his skin, forcing him to move back.

"What happened?" Mickey asked as he came outside. The TARDIS had notified them of the explosion as it echoed around the hub. Neither himself nor Martha had heard the explosion, however, as the TARDIS muted the sounds outside her walls. 

"What does it look like happened?" Jack questioned Mickey angrily as he kicked a piece of metal back towards what used to be Mickey's SUV. "I want you back inside now. Pull up every camera that we have and find out how he did this."

"I would be more useful to you out in the field helping you find the men responsible for this chaos," Mickey advised him as he stood his ground. While he wanted to be by his wife's side as she rested in the medi-bay, it was becoming increasingly obviously that they wouldn't be safe until the men responsible were apprehended. 

"It's not my SUV that they blew up," Jack reminded her. "That bomb was placed there for you or Martha." He stormed towards the hub with Mickey following close behind him. Pulling out his cell phone, he called Gwen's number. Relief filled him as she picked up on the second ring. 

"Hello?" She answered.

"Where the hell are you?" Jack questioned her. He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries at the moment. In fact, all he wanted to do was to change his clothes, then find his brother. 

"I am currently on my way to Richard's next of kin," Gwen responded not bothered by his angry tone. Thinking that he was mad at her, she continued before he had a chance to speak. "I was held up at the hospital because Richard was in surgery for several hours to repair his broken legs. The doctor's tried to keep me from speaking with him, but I was able to see him for a moment before I was kicked out of his room. He wasn't able to tell me much but he is convinced that the woman we found him with isn't his wife."

"I want you back at the hub. They just placed a bomb in Mickey's SUV and I don't want them to try to come after you as well," Jack informed her. Reaching his room, he put his phone on speaker before throwing it onto his bed. 

"Is he alright?" Gwen asked in concern. 

"He's fine. I found the bomb before he did," Jack explained. Pulling his shirt over his head he looked at the scorch marks that decorated the front of it. He threw the shirt into the trash bin, then toed off his shoes.

"I can be back at the hub in a half an hour. There is one more thing I need to do before I join you there," Gwen replied. 

"I want you back here now. That is an order, not a request," Jack snapped at her. His trousers joined his shirt in the bin. Going to the cupboard he pulled out a fresh pair of clothes, setting them on the sink in his small bathroom. 

"If they are really targeting us then I am not going to leave Rhys to die. I am going to stop by his job and pick him up before I come back to the hub," Gwen snipped back at him. Jack sighed. Glancing at his watch he noted the time. 

"I want you here in half or I am coming to find you," Jack responded going back over to his bed. Reaching down, he hung up the phone not giving her a chance to answer him. He was just as angry at his team as he was at his brother. He had told them from the moment that he saw the box that there was a problem, only no one had believed him. Now the Doctor was close to death, he had died and the couple was in the hospital with severe injuries thanks to his brother. He needed to end this before his brother was able to hurt anyone else but his only means of transportation was still a half hour out. Storming towards his bathroom again, he took a quick shower washing the soot off of his body. He dressed in the clean clothes that he had laid out then glanced at his watch again. He still had twenty minutes. Sighing he left his room. 

"Tell me you have found something," Jack demanded as he entered the main part of the hub to find Mickey reviewing the security footage. He had several hours of footage to go through as well as several different tapes to review. Asking him to find it all within the short period Jack had been gone was impossible but Jack didn't care. He needed answers and he wanted them now. 

"Not yet. I just finished pulling all the footage and I still have to review it," Mickey answered causing Jack to become angrier. He threw the chair that was in front of him towards the autopsy room. It clattered as it fell down the stairs landing with a thud at the bottom. "Was that really necessary?"

"Get back to work," Jack yelled. Right now, he wanted more than anything to have a large drink of whiskey as he cuddled with the Doctor. He didn't think about it as he went into the TARDIS heading to his lover's side. From the doorway of the medi-bay, the Doctor seemed paler than when he had left. He could see a slight tinge of blue on the Doctor's lips and hear the wheeze as he struggled to breathe. The anger remained, even as his heart broke seeing his lover in so much pain. He slowly made his way to his side, leaning down to kiss him softly on the head. "How is he?"

"He is worse than when you left," Martha answered Jack honestly. For the past twenty minutes, she sat there watching the Doctor decline in front of her eyes as she tried desperately to help him. "His energy is refusing to raise while both his blood oxygen levels as well as temperature remain far too low. His right heart is struggling to support his body but I am afraid to restart his left with the condition his body is in."

"Is there anything you can do for him?" Jack questioned desperate to save the Doctor. 

"Being that you are the closest thing he has to a next of kin, I would like your permission to ventilate him in order to assist his breathing," Martha requested. 

"For how long?" Jack wondered. Reaching out, he gently brushed the Doctor's hair behind his ear with just his fingertips. The Doctor's hair felt greasy and needed to be washed. It wasn't a priority at the moment as right now they were just trying to keep him alive. 

"A few days at least. During that time, I will be keeping him fully sedated but not taking him low enough to be in a coma. I just want to give him time to allow his lungs to heal so that he isn't in so much pain the next time he wakes," Martha informed Jack. 

"I'm not sure that ventilating him would be the best thing for him. Couldn't we allow him to wake and make the decision," Jack hesitated not wanting to see his lover with a tube down his throat supporting his breathing. 

"Regardless of your choice Jack, it would be cruel to allow him to wake at the moment. We can't forget that the last time he was awake, he was in enough pain that he was begging to be sedated," Martha reminded Jack. Jack nodded. He didn't think that he would ever be able to forget the pain that he saw etched in the Doctor's face as he struggled to take a breath. 

"Do it," Jack told her finally. Martha stood going to the cupboard. She retrieved a ventilation tube as well as the scope. Jack helped her to hold the Doctor's head in place as she fed the tube down his throat and into his lungs. Turning on the machine, Jack watched as his chest rose and fell steadily as he no longer gasped for each breath. Jack didn't move from the Doctor's side as he helped Martha to run through his vitals. There was no change yet, but Martha had hope that he would show progress soon. 

He stayed by the Doctor's side until his phone viberated alerting him to the fact that he had recieved a message. Looking at his phone, he saw that Gwen had returned to the hub and was waiting for him. He kissed the Doctor goodbye, praying silently that this wasn't the last time that he would see him alive. Making his way out to the rift manipulator, he found Mickey sitting and talking to Rhys as they worked on reviewing the footage from the plas. Gwen was standing nearby, already on her phone. 

"About time you got here," Jack snipped at her.

"One moment," Gwen told the person that she was talking to on the phone. Covering the mouthpiece she lowered it as she glared at Jack. "I'm trying to find out as much as I can about the couple. Now do you have a reason for interrupting my call or can I get back to work?"

"Where are your keys?" Jack questioned. Gwen pulled them out of her pocket handing them over to him. He snatched them out of her hands, hurrying out of the hub. He stood as far back as he could from the SUV as he unlocked the door, bracing himself for another explosion. When the SUV remained in one piece, he climbed into the driver's side. 

"Sir, I need to speak with you," A police officer informed him as he came over to the SUV. Mickey's was still smoldering but the rain as well as the fireman had reduced the flames. Jack didn't have the time or patients to deal with the officer. Pulling rank with his Torchwood ID, he speed off in hopes of finding his brother before it was too late. In his eagerness to get away, however, he didn't notice the man with the red eyes watching from the steps of the hub.


	14. Chapter 14

The man with the red eyes knelt on the stairs of the Torchwood building. Despite the chaos going on around him as firemen rushed to contain the flames of the SUV and police officers blocking off the area, no one paid him any attention. People tended to overlook him but that was just fine, it allowed him to observe without people interfering. It was the reason that Ianto had chosen him to help with his revenge against Jack. He didn't know, nor did he care why Ianto wanted to hurt Jack. He just enjoyed the chaos that ensued. It didn't matter that Ianto had promised that he would be handsomely for his participation. Nor did it matter that he planned on killing the young man one day. For now, he would listen and help. 

Still, it had been harder than they expected to get Jack off of the premises. Ianto had waited for Jack to pursue them after they found the Time Lord drowned in his own filth beneath the ground. Jack had taken the body, just as Ianto predicted, then fled when Gray failed to destroy the blue box. It had taken another threat then blowing up the SUV for Jack to finally decide to leave the safety of Torchwood. Daemon was just disappointed that they didn't manage to kill one of Jack's followers in the blast. Yet, they were all in one place now and if he knew anything, it was about explosives. Standing up, he made his way to the door of the small building. Trying the handle he chuckled to himself as he found it locked. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a thin piece of metal inserting it into the lock. It was child's play for him to let himself in the building. Smiling to himself he made his way around the corner heading towards the secret entrance into Torchwood. 

"Stop where you are and put your hands in the air," A deep male voice yelled at him as he rounded the corner. He paused in his step staring at the young man that Ianto had called Mickey. There was a gun in Mickey's hand and he had to chuckle at the idle threat. Guns didn't scare him nor did anyone of Jack's followers. The smile still on his face, he took a step forward. "I said to stay where you are or I will shoot." He didn't respond as he took another step. "Last warning." He didn't listen, continuing forward. The gun sounded, with the bullet flying over his shoulder to hit the wall behind him. A warning shot. 

He didn't give Mickey any warning as he reached for his own gun. Raising the gun, he fired it before the young man had a chance to respond. Mickey stumbled back in surprise as he grabbed at his abdomen with his free hand. He was brave however as he raised his gun again. Brave or stupid it made no difference to Daemon as Mickey fired his gun once more, missing his target. Daemon reached out grabbing the end of the gun, twisting it to pull it out of Mickey's hand. Mickey stared at him, the fear in his eyes clear even as he stood his ground. 

"Run, or die," He hissed at Mickey. His voice was low and cold. Turning Mickey stumbled through the entrance back into the safety of Torchwood. Daemon stood there, watching as the door closed. He heard it click into place successfully locking him out but locking the others, in trapping them. Feeling confident, he set to work on his next task. 

-DW-

"Oh my god, Mickey," Gwen exclaimed as Mickey stumbled back through the door into Torchwood. He was holding his stomach and it was clear to see the blood seeping down his abdomen, staining his shirt through his fingers. She rushed over to him as he moved slowly towards the TARDIS. "What happened?"

"The bastard shot me and took my gun," Mickey swore angrily. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and his stomach was really beginning to hurt. He hated going to his wife for help but he couldn't wait. He needed the bullet removed so that he could return the favor to the man who gave it to him. "I need you to call the police and inform them that a man with two guns in currently in our visiting center."

"I'm surprised they didn't hear the gunshot, both Rhys and I heard it from in here," Gwen answered as she pulled out her phone. Rhys rushed over, supporting Mickey as he stumbled again. He helped him into the TARDIS pausing just inside the door. 

"It's bigger on..." Rhys began to exclaim in wonder.

"Yes it is, now go," Gwen snipped at him interrupting him as she followed behind them. Rhys looked around in wonder as he helped Mickey through the console room. Gwen continued to follow, speaking to the police the entire time. She told them about the man in the visitor's center and how he had shot Mickey. 

"Mickey," Martha cried out in concern as she jumped to her feet, no longer caring that she was supposed to be on bed rest. "Rhys bring him over here." Martha panicked as Rhys helped Mickey over to the bed. She moved Mickey's hand away seeing the blood leaking from the bullet wound in his abdomen. "How did this happen?"

"He tried to stop someone who entered the visitor center," Rhys explained. 

"What did he look like?" Gwen asked trying to get information for the police.

"Never mind that. I need to get him into surgery immediately in order to remove the bullet. I can't leave the Doctor alone, though. I need you to call Jack and get him back here so that he can help me," Martha snapped as she placed pressure on the wound to try to slow the bleeding. Mickey cried out in pain. "Rhys take over so that I can help him." Rhys moved to take over applying pressure as Martha ran to retrieve an IV as well as several vials of medication. 

"Rhys give me your phone," Gwen ordered her husband as she remained on the phone with the police on her own phone. Rhys reached one hand into his pocket to retrieve his phone as he continued to apply pressure to Mickey's stomach. He handed the phone to Gwen. Unlocking the phone, she dialed Jack's phone number.

"What?" Jack hissed as he answered the phone on the third ring. He was trying to find the people who hurt the Doctor and expected his team members to be able to take care of themselves. 

"Mickey's been shot by a man inside the visitor's center," Gwen told him. 

"How bad is it?" Jack questioned going pale at her words. Another of his friends had been hurt because he had failed to stop his brother. 

"The bullet is lodged in his abdomen and she needs to perform surgery immediately. We need you back here Jack," Gwen answered. Jack sighed.

"I'm on my way," He responded. The call disconnect and Gwen pocketed the phone as she returned to her conversation with the police. She had just begun to speak again when the TARDIS shook violently throwing her to the floor and rocking the beds that Mickey and the Doctor were laying on. Martha managed to stay up right by holding onto the cabinet while Rhys leaned further into Mickey apologizing as he screamed. 

"What the hell was that?" Rhy snapped as the TARDIS went still. Red lights flashed around them as a gong sounded from the control room. 

"I don't know," Martha answered softly, hurrying back to Mickey's side. Whatever it was though, she knew that they were safe aboard the TARDIS. She just hoped that the other's were alright.


	15. Chapter 15

Jack was furious as he turned to head back to the hub. The men knew who they were, where they were located and were systematically taking them out one by one. And what did they have? He knew that his brother was one of the men involved as well as the man with the red eyes. They had no idea how many people were actually working against them, where their base was or even how to stop them. The only one who may have an idea was currently in a medically induced coma fighting for his life. He swore as he swerved around a slow moving vehicle in front of him, laying on his horn. As he approached the hub, he could still see black smoke rising high into the air. He sped up reaching the hub in record time to find that now the building had smoke leaking out of its doors as well. He didn't bother to try to park as he allowed the front wheels of the SUV to hit the curb before turning off the engine and jumping out of the vehicle. 

"Sir, you need to stay back," An officer yelled at him as he took off across the Plas towards the main entrance into the hub. Jack didn't break his stride as he reached into his pocket pulling his badge out. 

"I'm with Torchwood and this is my building," Jack informed him as he once more pocketed the badge. Arriving at the entrance, he stopped. Pulling his gun out, he released the safety. He moved cautiously as he entered the burning building. The door to the main vault had been blown off the hinges allowing the man entrance into their sanctuary. He moved slowly through the building taking in the damage. They had destroyed the rift manipulator computers as well as the glass covering his office. Myfawny circled above, crying out her unhappiness as she had been disturbed by the chaos. Jack moved deeper into the hub going straight to the autopsy room. Going carefully inside, he found that the chamber holding his brother had been blown open. The table was pulled out and the side of it was scorched, explaining the burns to his brother's face. 

Jack yelled in rage, slamming his fist down onto the table. He didn't understand how they knew exactly where to find his brother when he had kept that a secret, even from his team, for the last few years. He screamed again kicking the table not carrying who heard him. He wanted the men to find him so that he could personally shoot the two of them. In order to do that, though, he needed time. Kicking the table one last time he headed up to the TARDIS. He slammed the doors closed behind him, causing her to hum angrily at him blowing cold air on him. 

"Sorry," Jack apologized as he ran his hand along the railing. "Is everyone on board?" She blew warm air on him this time as she confirmed that his team was on the TARDIS. Going to the console, he took off the handbrake sending the TARDIS into the vortex. They could hide in the vortex while the Doctor recovered and they got Mickey back onto his feet. Leaving the console room, he went straight to the medi-bay. 

"Go get scrubbed up, we need to get Mickey into surgery," Martha demanded as soon as he entered. He saw Rhys sitting by the Doctor's bed, watching the monitors. Martha had briefly explained what he needed to watch for as she tended to Mickey. Gwen was applying pressure to Mickey's side as Martha set up an IV for him. He hurried over to the sink, rolling up his sleeves to begin washing. 

"What is happening out there?" Gwen questioned as he washed. 

"They broke into the hub and destroyed the rift manipulator," Jack answered. "I sent the TARDIS into the vortex in order to buy us time while Mickey and the Doctor recover. Once they are well, we can land at the exact moment that we took off and no one will ever know we were gone."

"So we're stuck here?" Rhys wondered. Jack nodded.

"Temporarily," he answered. Finishing washing, he went over to Mickey's side taking over for Gwen. Together the three of them wheeled Mickey into the sterile room in order to operate. Gwen reluctantly assisted as the TARDIS administered the anesthetic. Even if it was difficult, Martha took the lead on the operation, guiding the two of them into removing the bullet from Mickey's body. As they worked, the TARDIS screen changed beeping at Martha. She glanced up at it, swearing under her breath as she did. The Doctor was in need of attention but they weren't finished with Mickey.

"Jack, I need you to take over for a moment while I attend to the Doctor," Martha advised him. Jack wasn't as skilled as Martha but he took over trying to remove the bullet fragment without causing further damage. Removing her gloves, Martha rushed out of the room to find the Doctor seizing on the bed. 

"I don't know what happened," Rhys told her panicking. 

"You did nothing wrong," Martha reassured him as she went to the Doctor's bed. The drawer next to the bed opened and she pulled out the syringe and vial of medication that was inside. Looking at the screen, she filled the syringe to the correct dosage. She injected it directly in the cannula in his arm. The Doctor twitched several more times before finally going still on the bed. The ventilator continued to breathe for him and his hearts beat strongly in his chest. Martha ran a quick check of his vitals making sure that the Doctor was stable before returning to Mickey.

"Is he alright?" Jack questioned as she returned. 

"He had a seizure," Martha answered him honestly not wanting to lie to Jack. Jack looked up at her with concern in his eyes. 

"Do you know why?" Jack asked. 

"No. After we finish with Mickey, I will run more test, Jack. I promise. He is stable at the moment, and his hearts remain strong. Right now, we need to finish removing the bullet from Mickey and then close the incision," Martha told him. Jack nodded. He knew she was right, even if he hated making the choice. What they needed was to have a full team of doctors who could attend to both Mickey and the Doctor. In order to get that, however, they would have to leave the vortex and then more people would be at risk. Sighing, he concentrated on the task before him, even if his mind was with his lover.

They finished removing the bullet fragments, then sutured the wound closed. Mickey had lost a lot of blood but he would survive. They wheeled his bed back out to the medi-bay, placing it next to the Doctor's bed. Martha ran through her after surgery checklist, making sure that Mickey was stable. While she did, Jack moved to the Doctor's side. He sat down on the edge of the bed, gently running his fingers through the hair on the side of his head. He wanted more than anything for the Doctor to open his eyes and talk to him. The Doctor would have the answers that they needed and with his help, they would be able to find and stop his brother. Leaning up, he kissed the Doctor softly on his cool cheek. Wishing wouldn't change anything. They had the time they needed now and he was going to use that time to get ahead of his brother. The next time they were attacked, he would be ready.


	16. Chapter 16

Jack was impatient as he waited for Martha to finish examining Mickey. While he understood that Mickey took priority at the moment due to just coming out of surgery, he was eager to find out what caused the Doctor to have a seizure. He watched as Martha examined Mickey, making sure that he was stable and that all of his IV's were running correctly. She administered the antidote to the anesthetic and then stayed by his side as she waited for him to wake up. She leaned heavily on the bed, using her arms to hold up her body, showing just for a moment how tired that she was. Jack felt guilty as he observed her. Martha should have been in bed resting, not caring for the men in the medical bay. 

"Rhys, I am going to sit with the Doctor for awhile. Would you mind getting Martha a cup of tea and a jug of water for Mickey for when he wakes up?" Jack questioned. 

"Sure," Rhys agreed standing up. "Do you want anything?"

"A cup of coffee, please," Jack requested. He watched Rhys walk to the door of the medi-bay, then stand there looking confused. 

"I'll show you where the kitchen is," Gwen offered. She went to her husband leading him out of the medi-bay and in the direction that she hoped the kitchen was in as she wasn't completely familiar with the TARDIS herself. With Rhys gone, Jack pulled the monitor over to himself pulling up the Doctor's information. He quickly scanned back to the time right before the Doctor's seizure reading his vitals and the information on the screen. When the Doctor had his seizure his energy levels were sitting at 35% still. Immediately following the seizure they jumped up to 45% before falling slightly to settle at 43%. His energy remained low but the TARDIS showed that his body was producing energy correctly, except the majority of the energy was being stored in his head. 

"I know why he had the seizure," Jack told Martha after a long moment. 

"Oh," Martha wondered not looking at him. 

"His body is producing energy too quickly and it is remaining in his head. He had the seizure to force the energy into the rest of his body and based on what I am seeing, he is probably going to have another seizure here soon," Jack explained to her. 

"Is there anything that we can do to prevent that from happening?" Martha questioned. 

"Not that I am seeing but I will keep looking," Jack answered. He set back to work on the monitor looking for anything that would help the Doctor. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice Rhys and Gwen return to the medi-bay until a hot cup of coffee was pressed into his hand. 

"Sorry, we got lost," Gwen apologized. 

"That's alright," Martha responded as she took her own cup of tea. Gwen placed the jug of water on the table beside Mickey's bed and set a glass down next to it. Now that the surgery was over, she wasn't sure what to do. She moved to the far side of the medi-bay taking Rhys with her in order to give the two couples a moment alone with their injured loved ones. She felt like she was intruding into their lives but with the TARDIS floating in the vortex, she wasn't able to leave. 

"Mickey, it's time to wake up," Martha cooed rubbing his shoulder with her free hand. "I know you're tired but if you wake up you can have a nice cool glass of water to help with that dry mouth."

"Martha," Mickey moaned opening his eyes a small crack. He rolled his eyes towards her hand rubbing his shoulder. It was irritating him but rather than tell her to stop, he tried to turn away from her hand. "Five more minutes."

"You can go back to sleep in a minute, but in the mean time you need to lay still because you just had surgery on your abdomen," Martha reminded him. Setting down her cup of tea, she picked up the water pouring him a small glass. Placing the glass to his lips, she helped Mickey slowly drink the water, wetting his mouth and throat. "There isn't that better."

"Yeah," Mickey agreed sleepily. He smacked his lips trying to settle back down but Martha wasn't going to let him sleep quite yet. 

"Come on, Mickey, keep your eyes open for just another minute. I know you are tired but I need to know if you're in pain," Martha asked him. Mickey squinted his eyes in confusion. 

"Why would I be in pain?" He slurred at her. 

"Because you just had surgery sweetheart," Martha reminded him.

"Why?" He questioned. 

"I think you can take that as a no," Jack offered. Martha nodded her agreement. If he was in pain, he was too drugged to feel it properly at the moment. 

"Because you were injured but don't worry, I'm taking good care of you," Martha informed him vaguely. She didn't want to remind him that he had been shot and upset him any further then she needed to at the moment. Mickey seemed to accept her answer, though, and this time when his eyes started to close she let him drift back to sleep. Running through his vitals one more time, she was satisfied that he had come out of the surgery cleanly. Now she needed to take care of herself. "Jack would you mind keeping an eye on Mickey for a moment while I go shower and change."

"Not at all. Will you please take Gwen and Rhys with you and show them to the bedrooms. I am sure they want to rest rather than sit in here with us all day," Jack advised her. 

"I don't mind staying in case you need help," Gwen argued. 

"I know and I think you for your assistance Gwen but there really is nothing more we can do at the moment until these two are awake and back on their feet. Martha can show you a room and if you ask the TARDIS nicely she will move the living area as well as the library close by so that you have something to do while you wait," Jack told her. 

"Alright," Gwen agreed as it did sound nicer than sitting in the medi-bay. 

"I'll be right back," Martha promised heading towards the door.

"Take your time. I'm fine watching them for awhile and I can call you back if I need you," Jack responded. Martha gave him a look, analyzing him for a long moment before leaving the medi-bay with Rhys and Gwen in tow. Jack knew she was worried about him, but she had no need to worry. He was going to be alright once his lover was awake and he had captured his brother once more. Reaching over, he brushed the Doctor's hair from his forehead before dropping a kiss on his sweaty head. He let his lips linger for just a moment as he thought of everything he wanted to the tell the man. There was no use making any more promises to the Doctor at the moment, though. Sighing, he straighened up and once more began researching how he could help the Doctor.


	17. Chapter 17

Jack couldn't stop the second, nor the third seizure that the Doctor suffered as his body tried to redistribute the energy from his head. It was shortly after the third seizure that his hand began to glow again and Jack thought for sure that he was going to see his lover change and if it hadn't been for Martha he probably would have regenerated. Martha was determined to make sure that he woke up with the same face that he fell asleep wearing, however, so she injected a very powerful but very dangerous drug into his IV. It would stop him from being able to regenerate giving his body a chance to use the energy to heal. It was a risky move as the Doctor only regenerated when his body was dying and he decided to remind Martha by having his heart stop as the golden light faded.

"Oh no, you don't mister. You aren't going anywhere so knock off this foolishness," Martha scolded him as Jack began palpating his heart trying to start it again. Martha picked up the small bottle that she had left by the bed and filled the syringe with the correct dosage. She injected it directly into the vein in his arm as Jack continued to work. 

"Please come back to me, sweethearts," Jack begged. 

"Do you want me to help?" Mickey asked from his bed. Martha quickly glanced over at him to see he was watching them try to save the Doctor. Even if he had volunteered to help, he had made no move to sit up. 

"I don't want you moving and tearing your stitches," Martha advised him. She had enough to worry about with the Doctor having seizures without having to rush Mickey back into surgery. 

"Beat, damn it," Jack swore slamming his fist into the Doctor's chest harder than he meant to. He cracked the Doctor's rib but got his heart beating again. Jack felt horrible for causing his lover more pain but at least he was alive to feel it. He leaned over kissing the Doctor softly on the top of the head as a way of apologing for hurting him whispering to him as he did. "Please don't do that again."

"I'm sorry Jack, but I need you to move. I need to do an x-ray of his chest to see the extent of the damage," Martha informed Jack as he continued to rest his lips on the Doctor's head. Jack nodded kissing the Doctor one more time before pulling away. Martha wheeled the Doctor over to the x-ray, setting it up. Thankfully, Jack had only managed to crack one rib while performing the chest compressions and the break wasn't severe. If he went into cardic arrest again they would just have to focus on his left heart. While it was his weaker heart, it would a least give him a chance to live without causing more damage to his ribs or accidentally piercing his lung or heart with the broken rib. As the last thing Martha wanted to do was to take him into surgery with how weak he was. Wheeling him back over to his place in the medi-bay, she made sure that he was still stable before going over to check on Mickey's vitals.

"You need to rest Martha," Jack informed her as he watched her taking Mickey's blood pressure. 

"I can't rest while I have patients to attend to," Martha answered him. 

"You will join them soon, if you don't take a break. While I understand that you had no choice but to help us operate on Mickey, he is stable now. The Doctor is being stubborn, but that is normal for him and nothing I can't handle. So will you please just lay down and let me help you take care of them for awhile," Jack requested. 

"Fine, but I am going to continue to monitor both of their vitals from my bed and if either one of them needs me, I won't hesitate to help them," Martha advised him, crossing her arms as she narrowed her eyes at Jack.

"I know you don't want to but you need to listen to him Martha. You don't want to put our baby at risk when Jack is able to help you," Mickey spoke up before Jack was able to argue her again. Martha threw her hands up in defeat, taking a seat on the bed next to Mickey. "Besides, I should be up in a few hours."

"Don't you dare think about getting up before I tell you," Martha snipped irritably. 

"I will be good, as long as you are," Mickey answered. Martha turned her glare on him for a moment before moving so that she was sitting with her feet up on the bed. Reaching for the bed controls, she raised the back so that she was able to lean against it. She grabbed the nearest monitor pulling it over to herself. No one argued as she grabbed a second monitor from the other side of the bed. From Jack's vantage point he was able to see that she had Mickey and the Doctor's vitals on one screen while the other she was using to do research. On the plus side, she was relaxing. 

*Thank you,* Jack mouthed at Mickey. Mickey winked with a small smile on his face as he pulled the blankets up higher. Even if he had threatened to move or get up, he really didn't feel like his. His abdomen was sore in a way that he didn't think was possible and he feared moving would set off the pain or cause him to be sick. So, he laid as still as possible trying to keep his breathing even. 

With all three resting, Jack wanted to return to his own research. He couldn't concentrate, though, as he watched the Doctor for any signs that he was going to have another seizure or have his hearts stop again. Thankfully the Doctor seemed to have stabilized even if several times over the next few hours golden mist danced across the Doctor's skin as Jack walked on anxiously. Jack watched his energy levels closely, fearing they would drop quickly again but whatever medicine Martha had given him seemed to have stopped the seizures. Jack took the Doctor's hand in his as he laid his head down on the bed. He was hopeful they had gotten past the worst of the Doctor's injuries. Now, they just needed to continue to give his lungs a chance to heal before waking him. Then Jack would have his answers. He would be able to once more pursue his brother and stop him before he was able to hurt anyone else.


	18. Chapter 18

For the next few days, little changed around the TARDIS. Mickey and the Doctor remained admitted to the medi-bay recovering from their respective injuries. Mickey was able to sit up in bed slumped against the pillows as he was still weak from the blood loss. Martha had him on strong painkillers that helped with the pain but did little to help with the nausea that he was feeling or the worry. He watched Martha moving around the medi-bay tending to her patients even if she needed to be on bed rest herself. While she left most of the work to Jack, she couldn't remain laying in bed when her patients needed her. 

The Doctor was still sedated and intubated in order to breathe. Martha wasn't sure if it was because of the medicine she gave him, or the energy problems that he had upon his arrival but he wasn't healing as quickly as he normally did. She monitored him closely both from her bed or sitting in a chair beside Jack waiting for his body to fail again. He remained stable, despite her fears that his body would crash again. She didn't dare to reduce his medications, though, out of fear that he would regenerate. 

"I'm thinking of waking him," Martha told Jack as she ran through the Doctor's vitals. Jack looked up at her from his place beside the Doctor's bed. He looked weary as he turned his eyes to the screen. The Doctor's vitals were weak but stable. As much as he wanted to talk to his lover and know he was alright, he didn't want to risk causing his body any more damage. 

"His body is still badly damaged, Martha. Are you sure we should wake him?" Jack wondered on behalf of his lover since he wasn't able to speak for himself.

"I won't lie to you, Jack. His lungs are still healing along with the rest of his body. He is going to be sore and miserable when he wakes up, but I have been monitoring his vitals closely and see no reason to keep him asleep. I promise that I will do everything I can to make sure he is as comfortable as possible but he still has a long recovery ahead of him," Martha responded. Jack rubbed the back of the Doctor's hand with his thumb as he nodded. With his permission, Martha set to work. She turned off the ventilator first giving him a chance to breathe on his own. Both of them waited anxiously for the Doctor to realize that he was going to have to use his sore lungs. They didn't have to wait long as he took a small breath in followed by another. It wasn't much but at least he was breathing on his own. Martha left the tube in place to protect his airways as placed an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. 

Jack expected her to try to wake the Doctor fairly quickly, but she didn't reduce the sedative as she monitored his breathing. After almost an hour, she finally had Jack hold the Doctor's head steady as she removed the tube. The Doctor gagged during the process, which was normal but still upset Jack. She replaced the oxygen mask to help him breathe as his blood oxygen levels fell in the short time that it was off. Rather than wake the Doctor right away, Martha finally changed over the IV to allow the sedative to allow him to wake up slowly and naturally. Jack took the Doctor's hand once more in his own as he waited anxiously for his lover to wake.

-DW-

He was slowly coming back into awareness. His body ached terribly and his lungs burned. For a moment he worried that it had all been a dream when he woke safe aboard the TARDIS. Only the soft bed. the hand holding his tightly, and the TARDIS humming comfortingly to him reminded him that he waa safe. He was no longer buried in that horrible box that he thought would become his tomb.

"Doctor, can you hear me?" Martha wondered softly. He ignored her for a moment as he tried to assess his body. He felt as if he still wanted to regenerate but there were drugs racing through his system preventing it. He was grateful, even if he was in pain as he liked this body. At least he thought it was the same body that he had fallen asleep in. If it wasn't then the people who were supposed to be taking care of him owed him an explanation. He didn't bother to open his eyes yet to check as he started his assessment. His head felt like it was filled with cotton due to the medications he was on. His throat burned and each breath of the cold air against his face felt as if he were inhaling sand. Concentrating lower, he could feel that he only had one heart beating in his bruised chest. There was also a new sharp pain that threatened to steal away each small breath that he took. Moving to his arms, he could feel the heaviness of a cast as well as the bandages on his fingers.

"Sweetheart, please open your eyes," Jack begged him. He wasn't ready to listen quite yet, though. First, he was wondering why he had a tube in his.... Well, he wasn't going to worry about that as he wasn't going to have it for long. He was going to make Martha remove it before she explained why she had felt the need to insert it in the first place. He could also feel his hips were bruised and there was an uncomfortable ache in his bottom. He stopped his assessment as he didn't want to think about that. How those men had held him down as they took their pleasure from his body. 

"No," he moaned as he forced his eyes open. He squinted against the bright lights of the medi-bay. He was thankful for them, though, even if they did hurt his eyes. He could see Martha staring down at him and he rolled his eyes to see Jack sitting beside him. Jack looked like he hadn't shaved or slept in days. His hair was dishelved and his eyes were heavy from lack of sleep.

"Hello," Jack smiled at him, though his smile didn't reach his eyes. If anything it made him look even more tired.

"How long?" He tried to question. His voice sounded scratchy and weak. Pathetic, he decided.

"A few days. We needed to make sure that your lungs were healing before allowing you to wake," Martha explained. The Doctor rolled his head to the side to look at her. He was going to ask her why she didn't just let him sleep but he could see Mickey laying in the bed behind her. He was laying heavily against the pillows and a white bandage was on his abdomen. 

"What happened?" The Doctor started to question. His throat burned causing him to cough. If anything it made the ache in his lungs worse and he coughed harder unable to catch his breath. 

"It's alright, Doctor. You're alright, just breathe," Martha cooed as he gripped Jack's hand tightly. Tears streamed down his cheeks and he gasped for each breath as he continued to cough. His eyes grew wide with fear and he reached out for Martha with his cast arm as his eyes rolled back. 

"He passed out," Martha sighed as the Doctor's hand went lax. Jack wiped the tears from his own eyes as he kissed the back of the Doctor's hand.

"Maybe we should sedate him again," Jack whispered. 

"I know that was hard to see, Jack, but he's alright. His blood oxygen levels fell due to him panicking as he started to cough. We just need to do our best next time he wakes to keep him calm," Martha explained. 

"And quiet," Jack added. Martha nodded. 

"For now," she agreed. Jack sighed loudly leaning back in the chair as he continued to hold the Doctor's hand tightly. He had wanted so badly to hear his lover's voice and now he felt guilty for allowing him to wake. Not sure what else to do and not about to leave the Doctor's side, he waited for the next time the Time Lord needed him.


	19. Chapter 19

The next time the Doctor woke, Jack was ready for it. Even if his heart did ache to see his lover suffering. The Doctor's eyes opened slowly and Jack could see the immediate fear in them as it took him a moment to realize where he was and that he was safe. Jack reached out gently brushing the hair back from the Doctor's forehead and the Doctor gave him a weak smile as he opened his mouth. 

"Shhh. Your lungs are still healing and you need to remain quiet for now," Jack cooed softly. The Doctor stared at him as he considered Jack's words. He understood they wanted him to remain quiet but he had too many questions that he needed answers to. He couldn't write his questions with his broken arm as well as his splinted and bandaged fingers. He quickly came to the conclusion that in his current state, there was no way to ask the questions without hurting. 

"What happened?" He rasped choosing to ignore Jack's request. It burned his throat and he fought to keep from coughing. It didn't work and a small cough passed his lips causing his chest to ache. He gasped in pain causing him to cough harder. 

"Try to help him sit up a little," Martha instructed Jack as she took her place beside his bed. Jack took the bed controls, raising the back slowly as the Doctor writhed in pain. When he was less than an eighth of the way up, she motioned for Jack to stop. She Then placed a hand over his broken rib to help support it as he gasped for breath. "You're alright. I know it hurts but you need to breathe slower. Deep breath through your nose and then out through your mouth." The Doctor glared at her as he tried and failed to follow her instructions. He cried out as the deep breath that was supposed to help him caused his chest to hurt worst. He gripped Jack's hand as tightly as he could, concentrating on the pain in his fingers

"Martha please, just let him sleep," Jack begged her, his own eyes full of tears as he watched the Doctor struggle.

"No," he moaned feeling himself getting light headed. While he would have loved to slip into the darkness and sleep until he was healed, he couldn't yet. First, he wanted answers about why Mickey was laid up in the medi-bay beside him with obvious wounds. It seemed as if hours passed as he struggled to breathe before he managed to calm down. He loosened his grip on Jack's hand as he laid there feeling defeated. Those men had almost taken everything from him and he didn't understand why. He opened his mouth to ask why again but Jack interrupted him before he could speak. 

"I will tell you what I know, if you promise me that you will remain quiet and rest," Jack tried to reason with him. The Doctor thought about it for a moment before he nodded. "From what we have figured out there are two men," Jack started but the Doctor shook his head no. He kept his promise not to speak as he tried to pull his hand loose from Jack's. Jack released him and the Doctor held up three fingers on his injured hand. The news didn't surprise Jack as he thought they might have a leader that he was unaware of. "I know I said for you to remain quiet, but do you know who any of these men are?"

"Yes," The Doctor rasped, his voice hoarse from the cold air and coughing. Martha tutted. Picking up a glass of water, she moved the mask so that she was able to place the straw at his lips. The Doctor took a small sip, allowing the cool water to soothe his dry throat. 

"I don't want you talking, but Jack is right we need to know who is behind these attacks if we are going to stop them. So, please try to keep your answers as short as possible," Martha told him. He nodded before she turned her attention to Jack. "If he starts to cough again to the point he is out of breath or if I believe he is under too much stress, the conversation stops."

"Understood," Jack responded as he saluted her. Turning his attention back to the Doctor, he took his hand. "I know this is hard, Doc, but how many of the men did you recognize?"

"Just," The Doctor started taking a breath between words as he tried desperately not to begin coughing again. "Ianto."

Jack stared at the Time Lord in disbelief. Out of everybody that the Doctor could have named, Ianto was one of the last people he would suspect of such cruelty. Even though they had fought constantly in the last few weeks of their relationship, they had remained on good terms when Ianto finally quit Torchwood ending their relationship once and for all. He had even written Ianto a letter of recommendation for his next job and offered to help the young Welshman whenever he needed it. The Doctor had to be mistaken about Ianto being involved, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. The man who had invaded their lives knew too much about them. He had specifically targeted the Doctor and had also easily gained access to retrieve Gray from where he was cryogenically frozen. Ianto had to have found out through the files that were kept as not even the Doctor knew about Gray being in the autopsy room. 

Keeping his promise to the Time Lord, he began to speak telling him everything they knew. He told him about the box arriving after the Doctor had been taken and how they had struggled to find him as the storm overtook the city. He explained about them continuously trying to blow up the TARDIS and blowing up the SUV. He was careful as he explained about the couple's house that the group was squatting in. He didn't want the Time Lord to blame himself for them choosing to target the man who had tried to stop the Doctor from being kidnapped. Finally, he told him why they were floating in the vortex waiting for the injuries that had been sustained to heal while they figured out their next move. 

The Doctor didn't try to talk again as he just listened, absorbing what Jack was saying. He could tell that pieces were left out but he didn't push for answers. At least not yet. First, he had to be able to talk without coughing. He was unhappy to hear the number of people that had been injured so far and wished silently that he could do more to help them. At least Jack had figured out how to give them the time they needed to stop Ianto and the two others. He shuddered as he thought of the other two men. Once more he was on the floor of the cabin, helpless as they took turns using his body. He gagged barely knocking the mask from his face before he was sick. Jack reached out to put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him as he trembled in pain but he shrugged Jack off of him, unable to stand his touch at the moment. 

"Let's get you cleaned up," Martha cooed softly. The Doctor didn't respond as he collapsed weakly back against the bed. His eyes met Jack's for just a moment and he could see the pain in his lover's eyes at the Doctor's rejection. Feeling guilty, he closed his eyes trying to concentrate on the problem. He was still weak from his injuries, though, and sooner than he would have liked, he drifted off to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Jack sat staring at his lover and his friend as he slept. Even asleep, he wheezed with every struggled breath of his damaged lungs. It would have been kinder to allow him to remain in the coma, but with it, he never would have learned that Ianto was behind the mayhem in Cardiff. That Ianto, the young Welshman that he had trusted to help him run Torchwood and who had also been his lover for many years, had helped kidnap, rape and try to kill the Doctor. And because of Ianto, many more were now suffering or dead. But even with this knowledge, he was no closer to stopping him. He still cared for Ianto and didn't want to have to kill him, just like he didn't want to have to kill his own brother. He had saved Gray from himself by locking him in the cryogenic chamber but Ianto had brought his brother back into play. Now he had to stop them both and this time he didn't think he could save them both. 

He shook his head and then ran his hands down his face. Right now they were floating safely in the vortex in order to allow the Doctor and Mickey to heal while they figured out how to stop whoever was behind the attacks. They could drift for as long as they needed to and he had plenty of time to formulate a plan to stop them later. Right now, he needed to figure out how to help the Doctor. The Doctor was suffering more than any of them, his own body and mind used against him in order to get to Jack. The Doctor wasn't aware that Jack knew that they had used his body for their own pleasure and was pushing Jack away again as he couldn't stand his touch due to the pain. It made Jack seethe to know they hurt the Doctor in such a horrible way. 

He stood up, not able to sit and do nothing anymore. While he couldn't just kill Ianto, Gray, and the other man like he wanted, he could do something to help the Doctor feel better. Going to the kitchen on the TARDIS, he dug through the cupboards. There wasn't a lot of food in the cupboards, certainly not enough to last them any length of time. They were going to have to leave the vortex soon, at least to refill their supplies. Leaving the kitchen, he went down the hall knocking on one of the doors. 

"I am going to be landing the TARDIS here in a few minutes. Can you go around and make a list of anything people might want or need?" Jack questioned Gwen as she opened the door. 

"Is it safe to land right now?" Gwen asked.

"It isn't safe to go back to Earth, but there are other markets I can go to," Jack advised her. Gwen nodded. Leaving the room, she went towards the medi-bay as Jack headed up to the control room. He piloted the TARDIS to a small planet, he knew that was a stop off for many humans on their way to other galaxies. There you could buy any supplies that you needed as well as find a room and possible companion for the night. There were even places to find work for free passage or people willing to help you reach your destination safely if the money was right. Jack ignored those places, as he took the list Gwen brought him and headed to the first building. With Gwen's help, he bought food, medical supplies, toiletries and a few other odds and ends. Taking them all back to the TARDIS, he sent her back into the vortex before putting the food away. 

"Jack, the Doctor's asking for you," Martha commented as she came into the kitchen. 

"Tell him I will be in there in a minute," Jack responded. Martha left the kitchen and Jack grabbed a small container of premade banana pudding as well as a spoon before he followed her. He carried the treat into the medi-bay to see the Doctor was awake and staring towards the door. He didn't smile when he saw Jack instead choosing to get down to business. 

"We need to go back to Earth," The Doctor informed Jack, his voice hoarse. He coughed and Jack placed a hand gently over his cracked rib to help support it. A shudder went through the Doctor's body over Jack's touch, 

"Not yet. We need to have a plan first," Jack told him. 

"Hiding won't help," The Doctor whispered. Being quieter didn't stop the burning in his throat and he coughed again. 

"No, but it will buy us time to actually come up with a plan as well as give you and Mickey time to heal," Jack argued him. 

"I don't," the Doctor started. 

"You can't even speak without coughing, so don't give me that. I know you are eager to put an end to this before anyone else gets hurt and I promise you we will, we just need time to plan first. Right now, we are safe in the vortex and I just picked up supplies from the marketplace on Haven. We have enough food to last us a couple weeks and I can get more if necessary. So take this time to heal and we will come up with an actual plan to stop them," Jack snipped at the Doctor. He tried to ball his fist in his anger before remembering that he was still holding the pudding. He shoved it roughly towards the Doctor. "Here I brought you this."

"Thanks," The Doctor responded taking it. There was no anger in his own voice as he knew Jack was right. He was also just relieved that Jack was no longer touching him. He hated the fact that those men had taken the comfort of Jack's touch from him. He still loved Jack but the thought of sleeping with him again scared him. He smiled weakly at Jack as he reached out to take Jack's hand with his good arm. Jack gripped his hand loosely, bringing it to his mouth to kiss his knuckles. Jack released his hand so that he could turn off the oxygen and temporarily removed the mask.

"Do you need help eating?" Jack questioned as he set the mask on the edge of the bed. 

"Maybe," The Doctor answered. With Jack's help, he removed the lid from the pudding. The Doctor tried and failed to grip the spoon with his bandaged fingers. He dropped the spoon and held the container in both hands bringing it to his mouth. He made a face as he tasted the artificial banana flavored pudding but his stomach welcomed the food and it felt soothing on his throat. It was hard to eat and breathe but that didn't stop him from trying and soon enough he was happily licking the container clean before handing it back to Jack. 

"More?" Jack wondered and the Doctor shook his head no. He groaned as Jack replaced the oxygen mask but didn't fight it as he still needed it. Just during the short time the mask had been off, his breathing had become even more strained and his lungs welcomed the additional oxygen. He tried to take a deep breath but immediately started coughing again as his lungs and chest burned from the action. He knocked Jack's hand away as Jack tried to support his broken ribs. 

"Easy," Martha soothed as she came over to the bed. Jack felt as though he had been slapped as the Doctor didn't stop Martha from supporting his ribs as he continued to cough. Finally, catching his breath, he looked up into Jack's pain filled eyes. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered. 

"I know."


	21. Chapter 21

Jack stared his ailing lover in the eyes. He could see the confusion the Doctor felt just below the surface of those brown eyes. The Doctor was hurting and he desperately wanted to help him. To make him feel safe again aboard his TARDIS while welcoming Jack's gentle touch. Regardless of how scared the Doctor had been and how much pain he remained in, he would never forgive Jack for changing time to prevent him from ending up buried in the first place. That left making him understand why it happened so that he could come to terms with it. It meant admitting to the man that he loved that he had lied to him and hoping that the Doctor forgave him. He took a seat next to the Doctor making sure that he didn't touch, him even though he desperately wanted to comfort and to be comforted by his lover. The Doctor furrowed his brow in confusion as he reached out for Jack's hand. Jack took it, squeezing it gently. Part of his was relieved that the Doctor allowed him that much, while a larger part thought that he didn't deserve it. He met the Doctor's eyes as he took a deep breath, preparing to tell the Doctor the truth about the men who hurt him. 

"Doctor, whatever happened to you, wasn't your fault. It was mine. Those men are after me and they used you to get to me," Jack admitted to him. It was obvious the Doctor didn't believe him as he continued to stare Jack in the eye. His thumb slowly rubbed the back of Jack's hand in a familiar gesture. 

"You don't know that," The Doctor whispered. Jack nodded. 

"I do, though. You know that Ianto was my friend and lover for many years. Even though we fought constantly towards the end, I thought that we remained on good terms. Even if I don't want to admit that Ianto is behind this, it makes too much sense to ignore. While I still don't know why he is attacking Cardiff, I do know that he is the only one with the knowledge to infiltrate the hub. He is also the only one who could have possibly known Gray's location," Jack informed him. 

"Your brother?" The Doctor questioned in confusion. Jack had told him about Gray during one of their many conversations. He knew that Jack felt guilty for years that he wasn't able to hold onto Gray's hand when they were children. He also knew that Jack had been buried alive under Cardiff by his brother. Jack had told him that his brother was dead, though. 

"Yes. I lied to you. Gray wasn't killed but cryogenically frozen in the Torchwood hub. He is helping Ianto to wreck havoc on Cardiff," Jack told him. He felt the Doctor try to pull his hand out of Jack's grasp but Jack held on, not ready to relinquish the Doctor's touch yet. "You have to believe that I didn't know that Ianto was capable of such cruelty or I would have had him retconned the moment that I first met him. I also didn't know that he would be capable of what he did to you."

"Let me go," The Doctor cried out as loud as he could. He tried harder to wrench his hand away from Jack as he began to cough. Jack let the Doctor's hand go, watching as he gripped the blankets. He writhed on the bed coughing as pain filled his chest. Tears filled his eyes from coughing and as he realized that his lover knew what those two men did to his body and that one of those men had been Jack's brother. 

"Jack, I need you to leave the medi-bay," Martha told Jack calmer than she felt as she came over to the Doctor's bed. She was seething from Jack's conversation with the Doctor. While she agreed that the Doctor needed to discuss what happened to him, now wasn't the appropriate time. Taking the bed controls in her hand, she slowly raised the back as she supported his ribs with her other hand. 

"No," The Doctor responded for Jack before crying out in pain. Martha stopped moving the bed as he threw his head back and closed his eyes. 

"Maybe Martha is right," Jack suggested gently. He hated to see the Doctor in so much pain and hated, even more, to know that he was the one causing the Doctor distress when he should be resting and healing. The Doctor shook his head no as he forced himself to relax against the bed. He continued to cough as he lifted his head, trying to look Jack in the eyes. 

"How?" He finally managed, coughing harder as the simple word burned his throat. 

"How do I know that he buried you beneath the earth?" Jack questioned, on purposely misunderstanding in a desperate effort to calm his lover. 

"Stop lying to me," the Doctor rasped, coughing harder. 

"I saw the bruises," Jack admitted to him. Whether or not the Doctor heard the admission was unknown, as his eyes rolled back and his body went lax against the blankets. 

"Way to go, boss," Mickey sarcastically chastised Jack from his bed. While he didn't know what upset the Doctor so badly, he agreed that the conversation could have waited. 

"I was trying to help him," Jack told Martha feeling helpless. Martha didn't comment as she laid the Doctor's bed back down and adjusted the mask on his face. She ran through his vitals, blatantly ignoring Jack as she did. Taking the hint, Jack started towards the door. 

"Where do you think you are going?" Martha snapped at him as she finally turned to look at him. 

"I'm leaving like you asked me too," Jack replied. 

"You don't get to turn me into the bad guy. He asked you to stay and even if I don't agree, he still wants you here," Martha hissed at him. Jack hesitated. He didn't want to go back and upset the Doctor again. Nor did he want the Doctor to feel like he was being rejected because Jack knew the truth. Jack also knew that there was nowhere on the TARDIS that he could hide from Martha if he chose to leave because pregnant or not she would track him down and drag him back to the medi-bay. Hoping he was making the right choice, he crossed the medi-bay and took his seat next to the Doctor's bed once more.


	22. Chapter 22

Jack was glad he stayed when the Doctor's eyes popped open again with a gasp. He immediately began to cough again as his frightened eyes searched the medi-bay. Settling on Jack he reached for him, taking Jack's hand tightly into his own. He held on as he was once more overwhelmed by a coughing fit that took his breath away and left him limp on the bed. 

"Not again," Martha sighed as she came back over to his bed. She had just started to run his vitals again when he moaned starting to come around. Martha glanced over to Jack who was still holding the Time Lord's hand tightly in his. She could see the Doctor was gripping Jack's hand just as tightly and she was worried that he would immediately start coughing until he fainted again if they didn't quickly calm him down. "Talk to him."

"Sweethearts. It's alright. You are safe aboard the TARDIS with me. You don't have to be afraid anymore, just open your eyes," Jack cooed softly.

"Jack," the Doctor moaned without opening his eyes. He felt dizzy and feared that if he opened his eyes he would get sick. He really didn't want to get sick again as his chest and throat already hurt. He took a shaky breath in letting it out with a cough. He prayed silently that he wasn't going to start coughing again and just hated that Martha wouldn't just allow him to slip off back to sleep until his lungs were healed. If he slept, though, he wouldn't be able to help them figure out how to stop the men who took him. He also wouldn't know how Jack knew about the horrible things they did to his body. 

"I'm right here just rest," Jack whispered. The Doctor ignored him as he rolled his head towards the sound of Jack's voice, leaving it firmly on the pillow as he did. 

"How did you know?" The Doctor rasped. Jack briefly closed his own eyes. He didn't want to answer the Doctor's question but ignoring him wasn't an option. 

"I saw the bruises on your skin," Jack informed him keeping his voice low as he tried not to let Mickey overhear his side of the coversation. While Martha had discovered it as his doctor and Jack had figured it trying to help him, the Doctor had the right to tell who he wanted. If he wanted Mickey to know what happened to him, he could talk to him when he was ready. 

"I have a lot of bruises," The Doctor responded. He could feel them covering his entire body from struggling in that horrible box. With the thought of the coffin, a shudder went through his body causing fear to fill him. He had no choice but to open his eyes needing to see that he was safe aboard the TARDIS. Dizziness swept over him causing him to gag. The gag turned into a cough. He closed his eyes again as tears streamed down his cheeks. 

"Easy," Jack told him, leaning forward to place a hand on the Doctor's chest. "I know it hurts, but you need to control your breathing or you will just pass out again. Now concentrate on keeping your breathing even. Just breathe calmly with me sweethearts. In and out." Jack went quiet as he slowed his own breathing. The Doctor's hand gripped his even tighter as he tried to listen. It was hard, though, as every breath made his lungs burn and the coughing made his bruised chest hurt even worse. 

"Try sitting him up again," Martha suggested from where she was sitting next to Mickey's bed. Her feet were rested on another chair and she was ready to get up again if he didn't calm down. In the meantime, she needed to rest. Her pregnancy was already high risk and she didn't want to lose her unborn child. 

"No," The Doctor whimpered as he coughed again. He didn't want to sit up even as Jack reached for the bed controls. He just wanted the pain to stop so that he could finish his conversation with Jack or drift back off to sleep. He didn't care which as long as the pain stopped. Jack misunderstood his request, however, and released the bed controls. He stood up immediately sitting down on the edge of the bed. He was careful as he eased his arm behind the Doctor, lifting him off the bed. The Doctor leaned heavily against Jack trying not to show him how much his touch bothered him. 

"I've got you, just breathe," Jack cooed. The Doctor held onto Jack as tightly as he could as he managed to get his breathing under control. While he didn't want Jack's touch, he was warm and it felt good against his injured body. Also, he didn't have to look in Jack's eyes as they continued to speak. 

"He didn't do touch me," The Doctor whispered. His voice was so low it was hard for Jack to hear even if the Doctor's head was rested by his shoulder. 

"Who didn't sweethearts?" Jack questioned. 

"Ianto," The Doctor answered. He didn't elaborate as he used the new angle as an advantage to try to knock the oxygen mask off his face using Jack's shoulder. Jack stopped him, adjusting the mask. Despite the Doctor's aversion to the mask, they both knew that it was helping him to breathe. Without it, his body wouldn't get enough oxygen causing him to pass out faster. 

"But is he giving the orders?" Jack wondered. The Doctor nodded. "Then he is responsible for what happened to you as well. It doesn't matter if he didn't touch you if he was the one who told them to hurt you."

"We need to stop them," the Doctor informed him. 

"I agree and we will. I promise you we will make them pay for what they did to you," Jack told him. He kissed the Doctor softly on the head trying to ignore the shudder that went through the Doctor's body at the touch. His heart breaking, he held his lover quietly.


	23. Chapter 23

The Doctor was miserable. Talking to Jack about what happened to him didn't make him feel better. Nor did it make it easier to deal with the memories that made him want to squirm away from Jack's touch. He wanted nothing more to run away from the medi-bay hiding somewhere deep within his TARDIS. Only he couldn't with his damaged lungs, broken rib, and bruised body. He had to stay on this bed, breathing through the horrible mask that provided his body with the additional oxygen that it so desperately needed. He felt confused because despite hating Jack's touch, his body was warm and it helped soothe the pain that he was feeling. 

"Jack?" The Doctor whispered, his voice hoarse. 

"Yes, sweethearts?" Jack questioned. 

"Can I have a cup of tea?" The Doctor asked softly. 

"I can make you a cuppa," Martha offered. The Doctor couldn't help the sigh that escaped. While he appreciated her offer it didn't help get Jack out of his bed. He loved Jack and didn't just want to ask him to leave but Jack's touch was making his skin crawl and despite enjoying the warmth it was taking a lot of his willpower not to pull away. 

"It's alright, Martha. I can get his tea," Jack spoke up. Lowering his voice he continued so only the Doctor could hear him. "I'm not mad, Doc. If you need me out of your bed, you just have to tell me. You don't have to make an excuse."

"I really do want a cup of tea," The Doctor argued. He gave a weak smile as he felt Jack's lips press briefly to the side of his head. He was thankful that Jack understood that he couldn't stand his touch anymore. Jack was careful as he got out of the bed but the Doctor still hissed in pain as it jolted his injured body. He kept his eyes closed as he listened to Jack leave the medi-bay heading towards the kitchen. He waited until he was gone before opening his eyes again. Without moving his head, he turned his eyes to look at Martha. She was sitting next to Mickey's back with her feet up in a chair. Her head was turned towards Mickey and she was holding his hand tightly in hers. Taking the opportunity, he reached out for the monitor that was beside his bed. It was just out of his reach, however, causing him to turn his sore body. He tried to muffle his cry of pain but Martha turned to look at him. 

"You should be laying still," Martha scolded him softly. 

"I just wanted to look at my vitals," The Doctor lied. Martha's eyes narrowed slightly as she regarded him. 

"I can turn the screen a little so that you can see it from your bed, but I have been keeping a close eye on you and your vitals are holding steady. Unless you think something is wrong that I have missed," Martha inquired. 

"No," The Doctor answered as he turned so that he was laying flat on his bed again. He thought briefly about lying to her and telling her she had missed something. All that would accomplish is getting him a full examination again and the last thing he wanted was his body to be touched. He would lay on his bed like a good boy until she was distracted or asleep. Then he would take the opportunity to retrieve the screen. 

"I know you don't like laying still, Doctor but your body needs to heal. If you're bored, though, I can have Jack bring you a few books to read," Martha offered. The Doctor rolled his head so that he could look at her. 

"Can I have Jack's laptop?" The Doctor questioned. Martha shook her head no. "Why not? If I am allowed to read a book then why can't I read on his laptop?"

"Because we both know that you will use his laptop to work rather than rest and that is the same reason that you wanted the monitor. While I understand that you want to help, I don't want you working quite yet. Give your body a few more days to heal and than I will allow you to help Jack figure out how we can stop Ianto," Martha advised him. The Doctor huffed loudly as he looked back towards the door.

"I'd rather sleep," he told her. 

"No, you would rather pout until we stop paying attention and then do what you want anyway," Mickey spoke up. 

"Mickey," Martha sighed. 

"You're not the only one who wants to stop them, Doctor, but I won't have you putting my unborn child at risk because you don't want to stay in bed. Martha needs to rest and not spend her time worrying about whether or not you are going to listen to her medical advice," Mickey continued ignoring Martha. He wasn't feeling well either and he was cranky. He should have been on his feet helping his wife rather than laid up in the medi-bay next to the Doctor. He didn't blame the Doctor for being kidnapped but Martha should have never gone with Jack to find him, nor should she have been placed in danger when the TARDIS tipped over. So if anyone was going to find and kill Ianto it was going to be him. 

"Oi," Jack practically yelled as he came back into the room hearing the tail end of the conversation. 

"It's fine Jack, he's right," The Doctor insisted. "I'm sorry, Martha, I'll behave." He felt the tears burning his eyes and he tried to blink them away. One escaped rolling down his cheek. He turned his head so that the others wouldn't see his tears. 

"Would you like Jack to bring you a book to read now that he is back?" Martha offered. The Doctor shook his head no against the pillow. 

"Doctor, I've got your cup of tea," Jack informed him as he took a seat on the edge of the bed again. 

"I don't want it," The Doctor responded his voice thick with tears. Reaching down with his least injured arm, he tried to grab the blanket. He quickly grew frustrated as he couldn't get a grip on the blankets with his bandaged fingers. Taking pity on the man he loved, Jack pulled the blankets up to the Doctor's shoulders for him. The Doctor moved his head so that his face was just buried under the edge of them as he felt a second tear slip down his cheek. 

"It's going to be alright, Doc," Jack whispered reassuringly. The words did nothing to comfort the Doctor, though. He felt Jack lay what was supposed to be a supportive hand on his arm but he couldn't stand his lover's touch anymore at the moment and he quickly shrugged him off. Taking the hint, Jack moved off the bed leaving the Doctor alone. The Doctor was grateful, as feeling sorry for himself, he let the tears flow.


	24. Chapter 24

Jack waited until the Doctor was asleep, before moving the blanket from his face. Even with the oxygen mask, with his breathing issues, Jack didn't think that the Doctor needed to sleep with his face covered. Also, he didn't want him waking up afraid due to the fact that he was in a dark place and couldn't see that he was safe upon on the TARDIS. His heart ached due to the fact that his lover was hurting and he couldn't comfort him. He wanted more than anything to crawl into the Doctor's bed and hold him until he felt safe again. Only his touch repulsed the man that he loved. So being careful to touch him as little as possible, he adjusted the blankets tucking them around his shoulders. He dropped a soft kiss on the Doctor's head, making sure to just barely touch his head. 

"I know it is hard and that right now you're hurting, but please don't give up, sweetheart. I know it isn't fair to ask after everything that you have been through. You have every right to give up on this universe but you have to keep trying Doc. Don't let those men destroy you. Just know that I love you so much, and I will be here when you are ready to let me help carry some of your pain," Jack whispered to the sleeping man. He leaned down kissing the Doctor again. He wanted to fuss over the Doctor but there wasn't any more that he could do at the moment. Right now, he just needed to let the Doctor sleep and recover. He kissed him one last time, before pulling himself away from the sleeping Time Lord. Straightening up, he stretched then turned away from his lover looking towards Mickey. 

Mickey was laying holding Martha's hand. He had paled slightly and he was slumped against the bed rather than holding himself up like he normally would. The blankets covered his abdomen but Jack couldn't forget that Mickey had wounds of his own and hidden beneath those blankets were the bandages that covered his gunshot wound. Jack had no doubt that Mickey would recover though. The young man who laid in the bed next to the Doctor's bed had impressed him upon his return from the other universe. He was no longer the timid man who chased after Rose but a strong individual who Jack was proud to call a friend. He walked closer to Mickey's bed and Mickey looked up at him.

"How are you feeling," Jack asked him. 

"A little sore but nothing I can't handle," Mickey answered. Even though he was sore, he wasn't in pain. He had discussed the fact that he was uncomfortable with Martha and while she had adjusted his painkillers she couldn't block his pain completely. With the wound on his abdomen she needed to be sure that it wasn't causing any additonal problems to his liver and kidneys. 

"Are you sure?" Jack questioned and the young man nodded. Jack took a deep breath before he got to the real reason that he had come over to Mickey's bed. "Then there is something else I want to discuss. I don't know what brought on you telling the Doctor he needs to listen to Martha and behave. What I do know is that he has been through enough recently without having his friends turn on him and causing him to want to hide."

"I'm sorry I upset him Jack but it had to be said," Mickey started. 

"No, it really didn't," Jack interrupted him. 

"Yes, it did. I know you are worried about him and I am worried about him as well. Only I am also worried about my wife and our unborn child. You know that she has a high-risk pregnancy but you still drug her around England looking for the Doctor. I know you needed her to tend to him but she should have been resting. Then with everything else that has happened she has barely had a chance to rest. So yes, I did have to tell him to behave so that Martha could put her feet up for five minutes without having to worry that he was going to try to do something stupid," Mickey snipped at Jack. 

"I agree that Martha needs to rest but you should have found a better way to tell him," Jack argued back. 

"Enough," Martha spoke up. Both men went silent as they looked over at her. "I know tempers are high at the moment due to everything that has happened recently but turning on each other isn't going to help anything. Mickey, I appreciate you defending me but Jack is right and you should have found a better way to tell the Doctor. And Jack, Mickey is right. I do need to rest and whether the Doctor likes it or not, he needs to stay in bed until he recovers or he is just going to end up making himself worse. I know he doesn't like it and I need you to help me keep him in place while he heals, Jack and you can't do that if you're arguing with Mickey."

"Sorry," Jack apologized feeling properly chastised. 

"Good. Now the Doctor is sleeping, so I am going to take the opportunity to take a nap. I suggest both of you do the same," Martha informed them. 

"Yes, Ma'am," Jack answered sheepishly. 

"Yes, Martha," Mickey agreed. Martha stood from her chair, leaning over to kiss Mickey softly on the lips. Jack stayed in the medi-bay long enough to make sure that she was settled in bed and that both her and Mickey were drifting off to sleep. With one last look at his lover, he left the medi-bay going down the corridor. Despite agreeing with Martha, he wasn't tired and didn't plan on laying down. Instead, he was going to let Gwen know who was in charge of the attacks around Cardiff then hopefully get her help in figuring out how to stop Ianto. Determined to hurt the men who caused his lover pain, he went to find Gwen.


	25. Chapter 25

Finding Gwen, Jack took her to the kitchen so that they could talk alone. He made each of them a cup of coffee, drinking it slowly as they talked. He told Gwen everything he had learned the last few days regarding the attacks and who was behind them. He left out the part about what they did to the Doctor before they buried him. He knew that it would eventually come to light once the other's were caught but he wanted to maintain the Doctor's privacy for as long as possible. As he spoke, he watched Gwen's face turn to horror over who was involved. She stopped drinking her coffee as she listened to Jack talk. Like Jack, she had trouble believing that the gentle Ianto they knew was involved in the cruelty that was happening around Cardiff. 

"Are you positive that Ianto is behind this?" Gwen asked hoping desperately that Jack was wrong. 

"The Doctor identified him himself. It also makes sense. The men who attacked the hub knew too much about the inside. Someone in their group had to have been inside the hub before yesterday and there is no one else living that I know of who that could be," Jack explained to her. Gwen sighed. Everything that Jack had told her made sense. Even if she didn't want it to be Ianto, she had to trust Jack was telling the truth. At least until they spoke to Ianto and he explained what was really going on. 

"I'll contact the local police and see if they can find anything to help us catch and stop Ianto," Gwen informed Jack. 

"Just be careful. Remember we are floating in the vortex and we will be returning to the hub only a few minutes after we left," Jack reminded her as he pulled out his phone. "This phone has universal dialing and will allow you to call earth. Take it and my laptop in order to find out as much as you can. Once we land again, we need to stop Ianto immediately in order to prevent more people from being killed or injured." 

"Are you sure there is no way we can go back to Earth? I need to speak to the married couple again. We know that they used their home as a base and held them captive. Maybe if we can figure out where they took Richard's wife and who the woman in the hospital really is, we can figure out how to stop Ianto," Gwen told Jack. Jack shook his head. 

"The minute we land we are back within the established events," Jack answered. "Besides, we don't know for sure that the woman in the hospital is no longer his wife. He has been through a very traumatic experience and that could cause delusions. Use the laptop, research the family. If you find any evidence that he is telling the truth we will do everything we can to help him find his wife after we land."

"Alright," Gwen agreed, even if she didn't like it. Draining the last of his coffee, Jack stood up. He put his cup in the sink then walked with Gwen to the medi-bay. Silently they entered, being careful not to wake the three people sleeping inside. The Doctor had rolled over onto his side, burying his head partly under the blankets again. Jack went over to his side, moving the blankets back off his face causing the Doctor to roll so that he was no longer facing Jack. He rubbed his face on the pillow, knocking the oxygen mask away from his mouth. 

"Now you're just trying to cause trouble," Jack chuckled as he fixed the mask. The Time Lord huffed in annoyance settling quickly back down. Jack didn't let it bother him as he turned away from the Doctor picking up his laptop. He carried it over to where Gwen was still waiting by the door. She had started to come in but she couldn't do it. There was too much pain in this room. It reminded her what could have happened to Rhys as well as herself at any given time if they hadn't disappeared into the vortex. 

"I'll get started," Gwen told him. She took the laptop, grateful to leave the medi-bay. Wanting to be with her husband, she hurried back to her room. Jack, though, couldn't leave. He took his seat once more beside the Time Lord staring at his ailing lover. He wished that he could climb up on the bed and hold the Doctor until the Doctor felt secure again but he knew the man would never allow it. So instead he took to the little gestures to make the Time Lord feel safe aboard his home. He just wished that he could do more. 

"Jack," The Doctor whispered alerting the Doctor to the fact that he was awake and shaking Jack from his daydream. He looked over at the Time Lord, smiling softly as he tried not to show his worry for his lover. 

"Yes, sweethearts?" Jack questioned. He started to reach out to brush the Doctor's hair away from his head. Remembering at the last moment that the Doctor didn't want to be touched he let his hand drop. 

"Where's Martha?" the Doctor wondered. His words broke the Immortal's heart, that the Doctor wanted Martha instead of him. 

"She is sleeping in the bed next to Mickey's. Do you need me to get her or is there something I can help you with instead?" Jack asked.

"I need to use the loo," The Doctor admitted his face red with embarrassment. 

"You have a catheter," Jack reminded the Doctor. The Doctor rolled his eyes. He knew he had a catheter as he could feel the horrible tube. While he didn't like the tube, he had to admit that it made it easier as he didn't have to move every time he needed to urinate. That didn't help him with his current problem, though.

"Jack," He drew out the Captain's name showing his unhappiness at his comment. 

"Oh," Jack stated catching on to what the Doctor meant. "Wait here while I find a bedpan."

"Please, Jack. Just help me to the toilet," The Doctor requested. He was already relying on them for everything else he needed and he was positive that he would die of embarrassment if Jack made him use a bedpan. 

"I don't know, Doc. You shouldn't be moving in your condition," Jack stated. 

"Jack, please help me," The Doctor begged softly. Jack couldn't stand to hear him reduced to begging. The consequences running through his head, he carefully unhooked the Doctor from the monitors and detached his IV. He temporarily unclamped the catheter making sure not to tug on the tube. Finally, he took the Doctor's oxygen mask off before leaning over to pick up the Doctor. His touch was uncomfortable to the Doctor but he wrapped his arms around Jack's neck, helping to support himself as he was carried to the toliet. Once there, Jack helped him over to sit down before going to stand just outside the door. The Doctor was grateful for the privacy. He waited until Jack was gone before standing up. Holding on to the counter, he made his way on shaky legs over to the mirror. He looked in it to see his pale face with his eyes looking sunken. He needed to shave as well as a haircut but they weren't a priorty right now.

He stared himself in the eyes through the mirror. His eyes held all the pain that he carried as he was unable to hide it anymore. Those men had broken him and because of them, he didn't think he would ever be the same in this body. Gone was the happy man who use to run with Rose and found love with Jack. Instead, he was replaced with the broken man who used to hide in his room unable to face the rest of the universe. While he was grateful Jack had saved him from his watery tomb, a part of him wished that Jack would have just left him to die. He could be with his people again and not have to pretend that he was happy to be alive. 

"Doc, are you okay in there?" Jack questioned through the door. 

"Fine," the Doctor responded his voice hollow. He stared at himself a moment longer. It was getting hard for him to breathe again and no matter how much he didn't want it, he needed the oxygen again. Knowing he couldn't stall much longer, he made his way slowly back to the toilet, hitting the handle to flush it. Upon hearing the noise, Jack opened the bathroom door.

"Do you need help?" Jack asked, seeing the Doctor balancing heavily on the counter. 

"I've got it," The Doctor answered. He washed his hands and then dried them before allowing Jack to carry him back to his bed. He didn't argue or fight as Jack replaced the oxygen mask, then hooked back up the monitors and reattached his IV and catheter. Martha had remained asleep the entire time they were gone and the Doctor hoped that she remained unaware that he had made his way out of his bed. 

"Do you need anything else?" Jack questioned once the Doctor was settled again. The Doctor shook his head no. Then thought about it. 

"Tea?" He requested. 

"Of course," Jack agreed. He left the medi-bay to go get the Doctor's drink. With him gone, the Doctor leaned up to look for Jack's laptop. Not seeing it, he fell back on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling he once more began to sulk.


	26. Chapter 26

When Jack returned to the medi-bay with the Doctor's tea, he immediately noticed the difference in the Doctor's facade. The Time Lord once more laid staring at the ceiling and the little spark of life Jack had seen in him was gone. He barely reacted when Jack brought his tea over, just mumbling his thanks before letting it go stone cold as it sat on his nightstand. Jack took his seat once more beside the Doctor wondering how to get the rebellious Time Lord back. He loved the Time Lord with all his heart but he had no idea how to help his lover deal with the pain that he was in despite having been buried himself. 

When Martha woke, she came over to the Doctor's bed to check his vitals. There was no mention of his moment out of bed from either him or Jack and the TARDIS screens didn't reflect the change either. Content the Doctor was still recovering Martha tried to get him to eat but once more he refused by staring up at the ceiling and ignoring her. Nothing Martha or Jack said to him mattered as he continued to stare. 

He was lost in his own thoughts replaying what happened in his head over and over again as he tried to figure out how he could have changed it. There had to be something he missed that allowed him to be taken by those men and for them to use his body. No matter how many times he replayed the memories, he couldn't see a way out. Thanks to Ianto, the men had known who he was and how to drug him so that he was helpless to stop them from taking him. And even if he was thankful that Jack had saved him from his watery tomb a part of him wished that he had died beneath the ground. Then he wouldn't have to relive what happened to him as he laid helpless in the medi-bay. 

Jack tried to get the Doctor to open up and even allowed Gwen as well as Rhys to join them in the medi-bay along with his laptop trying to peak the Doctor's interest. Despite the Doctor and Mickey needing to rest, Mickey soon became involved in the discussion. The three of them spoke about Ianto's involvement and where he would possibly attack next. All of it was just speculation, though, as Ianto's initial movements had been based on the Doctor and now he thought the Doctor was dead. At least Jack hoped that he did as it would keep the Doctor out of harm's way while allowing the Time Lord to help them stop the Welshman. Jack tried to get the Doctor's opinion but the Doctor made it obvious that he wasn't going to talk to them as he turned his head to the small group staring at the far wall. 

"Are you alright, Doc?" Jack questioned as he took a seat on the bed. 

"Fine," The Doctor answered softly without looking at him. 

"Doc," Jack tried but the Doctor interrupted him before he could continue. 

"I said I was fine," he snapped swinging his casted arm and almost hitting Jack with it as he tried to roll on his side. He managed to make it, letting his arm hang uncomfortably so that his back was to the group. Jack gently picked up his arm moving it to rest on his side and the Doctor turned his head enough to glare at Jack. Turning his head back towards the wall, he coughed softly and Jack sighed. Standing up, he made his way back over to the small group. Martha though went around the Doctor's bed getting on her knees so that she could look him in the eyes. The Doctor looked at her with lost eyes rather than the same anger that Jack was greeted with. 

"We both know that you aren't fine, so how about you tell me how you really feel," Martha told him softly trying to keep the rest of the group from overhearing their conversation. He didn't answer her right away as he looked past her towards the wall. While they were quiet, Gwen laughed loudly at something that was said and the Doctor squeezed his eyes tightly shut. "I can ask them to leave if you want to rest."

"They can stay," The Doctor answered as he opened his eyes. 

"Are you sure? If you are tired I can ask them to move to another room so that you can rest," Martha offered. 

"No," The Doctor responded. Even if he didn't want to participate in the conversation, he could hear Mickey speaking with them. While no one would blame him for being selfish and asking for them to be quiet, he wasn't going to take away Mickey's distraction. That didn't mean he didn't have to like it or listen. "Martha, can I go to my room?" 

"You already know my answer, so rather than asking me and then getting angry, why don't you explain to me why you should be able to go," Martha answered rather than telling him no like she wanted to.

"Never mind," The Doctor answered irritably. Martha didn't drop the subject, though. 

"How about because you are feeling exposed in the medi-bay and you have no privacy unless I pull a curtain around your bed," Martha suggested. The Doctor just stared at her not sure where she was going with it. "Or how about because the TARDIS can monitor you just as easily in your room as in the Medi-bay. Also, you can have your IV and oxygen in your room and I can hook the catheter bag to the side of your bed." Martha set her hand on the bed in front of the Doctor pressing on it several times. "You could also tell me that the medi-bay beds aren't as comfortable as your own bed and you would like to be tucked in beneath your own comforter with your own pillows."

The Doctor looked at her curiously wondering why she was arguing for him. He wasn't sure what her game was and he wasn't going to get his hopes up that she would allow him to move. He liked to think that he was smart enough to figure out any game that she was playing but she was currently confusing him, so rather than answering her, he stayed quiet allowing her to finish. 

"All of those arguments on their own can be fixed but together they make a good reason why I should allow you to move to your own room aboard the TARDIS. So, rather than just telling you no, I will make you a compromise. The TARDIS medi-bay has a clean room that is supposed to be used for surgeries. I will allow you to move into it temporarily so that you can rest on your own without everyone bothering you as long as you promise to stay in bed and not try to run away as soon as you are on your own. Then in a few days time, when you are stronger we will reassess letting you move to your room," Martha told him. "Would that be alright?"

"Yes," The Doctor agreed. Martha used the bed to help her stand without touching the Doctor. 

"Jack and Rhys, can you help me a moment," she asked loudly. Jack immediately made his way over to her the concern on his face clear. 

"Yes, Martha?" Jack questioned as he approached. 

"The Doctor is feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment, so I have agreed that he can move into the small room off the medi-bay. I still don't feel comfortable allowing him to stand, so we are going to wheel his bed into the room with him on it," Martha told him. 

"Are you sure it is a good idea?" Jack wondered causing the Doctor to glare at him again.

"He will be fine," Martha answered. She unlocked the wheels on the Doctor's bed and with the other's help, she wheeled the Doctor to the side room. They parked the bed in the middle of the room so that they could still get to him on every side and locked the wheels off. "Doctor, I will be back in just a moment. Jack, can I speak to you alone?"

"Of course," Jack responded. He wanted to stay with the Doctor as he wasn't sure leaving him alone for a long period was a good idea. Still, he had to trust that Martha knew what she was doing. The three of them left the room, and Martha closed the door behind her leaving the Doctor in peace. Martha took Jack aside giving him a list of items that she wanted for the Doctor and he went in search of them. Within a short time, he returned with the Doctor's comforter from his bed as well as several books for the Time Lord to read. He left again coming back with a small table that he set beside the Doctor's bed. The Doctor didn't acknowledge him as he set up the room so that the Doctor was more comfortable. On his last trip, he came in with a few bananas as well as a cup of tea setting them within the Doctor's reach. "Do you need anything else?"

"Just to sleep," the Doctor told him with a yawn. 

"I'll leave you alone then," Jack replied. He went to kiss the Doctor on the top of the head but the Doctor moved his head not allowing Jack. Jack tried not to let the hurt show as he straightened up. "Sleep well, and remember that I love you."

"I love you, too," the Doctor whispered softly as Jack exited the room closing the door tightly behind him. Alone at last, he laid back staring at the ceiling. Everything in the room was familiar and the quiet was a welcome change from the noise of the medi-bay. He looked at his tea, then picked up the cup with his good arm. He took a small drink of it feeling the heat down to his stomach. Without a second thought, he threw the cup as hard as he could at the wall watching it shatter. He picked up book after book throwing them as well before throwing his bananas, then pillows. Out of things to throw at the wall, he threw back the blankets getting carefully to his feet. Using the wall as a balance, he rested his forehead against it as he screamed pounding his fist into the wall. Tears ran from his eyes and his injured fingers ached as he released a little of the pain that he had been holding. Finally, exhausted, he collapsed back on his bed. He winced in pain as his sore body screamed at him. 

No sooner had he laid down, before the door of his room opened. Jack didn't comment on the mess as he cleaned it up. He gave the Doctor back his pillows before putting the books and bananas back on his night table. He cleaned the broken glass up, then brought the Doctor a fresh cup of tea. With the room situated again, he turned to leave. 

"Jack," The Doctor spoke up. 

"Yes, sweethearts," Jack questioned as he paused. 

"Thank you," the Doctor told him. Jack smiled at him, leaving him as the Doctor snuggled down under the blankets. Alone, and exhausted, it didn't take long before he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.


	27. Chapter 27

"Are you sure he is alright alone in there Martha?" Jack questioned as soon as the Doctor was completely alone. He wanted to go back in there and sit with his lover but it was obvious even to him that the Doctor needed a moment to himself. That didn't mean he had to like it. 

"Honestly, I don't like him being isolated either Jack, but I am thinking of his mental health at the moment as well so I have to believe he will be fine. The TARDIS keeps him under constant observation and she can immediately let me know of any changes just as easily from the sterile room as she can from the medi-bay," Martha answered honestly as she looked towards the door separating her from her patient. 

"If you want, I can go in there and bring him back out here," Jack offered. Martha didn't even consider his answer before shaking her head no.

"He asked me to go to his room. This was a compromise in order to give him a little privacy while still keeping him within the medi-bay," Martha informed Jack. If he were in a normal hospital, he would have been in their ICU unit and under constant supervision. She would also have other patients that she needed to tend to besides him and wouldn't be able to give him around the clock care as she did aboard the TARDIS. 

"Fine," Jack sighed trying to trust her. No sooner than they had gone quiet than the sound of glass shattering sounded from the room. Jack raised an eyebrow at Martha as she visibly winced. Despite her reassurance, it was obvious that the Time Lord wasn't fine. Jack turned starting to head to the room to check on the Doctor but Martha stopped him with a hand on his arm. 

"Give him a moment," Martha told Jack. He paused standing just outside of the door. He listened trying to determine what the Doctor was throwing as the thumps on the wall escalated. It went quiet briefly then the sound of the Doctor's screams joined the noise. Jack fought himself, just wanting to comfort his lover as he listened to the Doctor's fit. His screams sounded hoarse and strained as he pounded on the TARDIS wall. He waited until the Doctor had gone quiet again before going in and cleaning up his mess. He didn't comment on the fit as he straightened the room before replacing the tea. 

"Jack," The Doctor spoke up before he could leave again. 

"Yes, sweethearts?" Jack questioned as he paused in the doorway. A part of him was hoping that the Doctor would ask him to stay. To crawl beneath the blankets with his lover and hold him in his arms. 

"Thank you," The Doctor told him. He smiled at the man despite those simple words hurting his heart. With no inventation to stay, he went back out in the medi-bay as the Doctor snuggled down beneath the blankets. He rejoined the conversation, discussing Ianto's intentions. They discussed Ianto's life, at least what they knew about it, Jack filling in the blanks from what the two of them had discussed when they were lovers. While the information gave them ideas, it did nothing to help them figure out what the Welshman had been up to since leaving Torchwood. As they spoke, it was obvious that Mickey wasn't as comfortable anymore as he squirmed on the bed, trying to get comfortable. Martha eventually intervened, kicking Gwen and Rhys out of the medi-bay as she proclaimed that Mickey needed to rest. 

"We'll be back later to check on you," Gwen promised as they left. With the medi-bay quieter, Martha topped up Mickey's pain medications allowing him to slip into a comfortable sleep. Jack, though, went to the Doctor's room opening the door a crack to check on the sleeping Time Lord. Just like every other time he went in, the Doctor was still sleeping peacefully not noticing or caring that Jack was checking on him. With the medi-bay quiet, Jack finally entered the room fully closing the door behind him. Making his way over to the Doctor's bed, he realized that there was no chair within the room. He quickly fixed that, finding a chair within the medi-bay that he could relax in. He brought it back into the Doctor's room, setting it up beside his bed. Taking a book off the bedside table at random, he opened it to the first page. 

-DW-

The Doctor woke to the sound of soft breathing beside him indicating that he was no longer alone in the room. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that Jack had joined him during his slumber as he could sense the immortal sitting beside him. He didn't understand why Jack was still being so loyal to him. His body was tainted by the two men who claimed it and he couldn't stand Jack's touch. Yet, Jack was still determined to make sure that he was comfortable as well as had everything that he needed. Jack had even gone against his better judgment, helping him to the loo. He opened his eyes to see that Jack was leaning back in his chair reading with his feet propped on the end table. He didn't notice the Doctor was awake as he turned the page. 

"I thought we were going to read that one together," The Doctor commented with a frown. 

"I'm not that far in the book if you want me to start it over," Jack offered as he lowered the book. He was curious to see what happened next but he was willing to start over if the Doctor was finally showing interest in something. 

"Later," The Doctor agreed. Jack nodded setting the book aside without finishing his chapter. The Doctor opened his mouth to say something else but no words came out. He closed it, clearing his throat before trying again. The words he spoke were so soft that Jack didn't catch them even though he was sitting beside the Doctor's bed. 

"Pardon?" Jack questioned. 

"Can I have a cup of tea?" The Doctor asked a bit louder.

"Of course you can have a cup of tea but that's not what you asked the first time. So why don't we try that again," Jack stated. The Doctor stared at him not sure if he could repeat the question. Jack stood up going over to the bed. He reached for the Doctor's hand and the Doctor allowed him to take it. "I won't be mad regardless of what it is that you ask me. If you want me to leave you alone, I will do that or if you want me to stay I can do that as well. If you are asking for medication, I will get it for you or just to sit quietly, we can do that as well. Don't ever be afraid to ask me for what you need."

"Will you leave me now I am tainted?" the Doctor asked again. He spoke so quickly that all the words ran together making it hard for Jack to understand. 

"Oh, sweethearts, you're not tainted," Jack answered. 

"I am," the Doctor responded softly. Jack closed his eyes briefly, hating Ianto even more for the pain that he had caused the Doctor. Sex had always been difficult for them, despite their relationship and Jack's love of sex. The Doctor, on the other hand, was opposed to it from the beginning of the relationship. While he had slowly been opening up to Jack, he still would never initiate the sex between them. Now Jack wondered if he would ever feel the Doctor's body move with his again. Regardless, he had no plans on leaving the Time Lord and would stay by his side.

"I know it is hard for you to understand but I love you, Doctor. I loved you with big ears, I love you with your choppy hair and I will still love you in your next body. Even if I'm no longer allowed to share your bed, I will stay with you and travel with you as long as you will let me," Jack told him. He didn't think about it as he leaned down kissing the Doctor on the top of the head. The Doctor didn't stop him, nor did he return the kiss as he looked up at Jack.

"I don't deserve you," the Doctor whispered. 

"Regardless, you're stuck with me," Jack teased as he kissed him again before leaning back. The Doctor released Jack's hand and he let it drop to his side. "So, now that you are feeling better, how about I get you something a little more filling to eat."

"Alright," the Doctor agreed. Silently hoping the Doctor was coming back to him, Jack stepped out of the room and headed to the kitchen. Once there he wasn't sure what he should cook as he wanted something the Doctor could still eat easily despite his broken arm. In the end, he settled on steak and potatos, cutting the Doctor's steak into easy to eat chunks before taking it back to the room. The Doctor accepted the meal, only picking at it as Jack hungrily devoured his meal. 

"Read to me," the Doctor requested as Jack finished his meal. Jack set his empty plate aside, picking up the book. Starting on the first page, he began to read to the Doctor.


	28. Chapter 28

Jack read to the Doctor for over an hour as the Doctor laid there quietly. Jack wasn't sure if he was listening but every time he looked over the book, the Doctor was staring towards him breathing evenly. He had abandoned the rest of his meal after barely eating a quarter of it. He had then turned onto his side so that he was laying more comfortably as he stared at his lover. Eventually, Jack lowered the book so that he could look the Doctor in the eyes. The Doctor's brow wrinkled in confusion as Jack went quiet. Realizing that the Doctor was still listening, after all, Jack reached for the water. 

"Sorry, I need a drink," Jack apologized. The Doctor nodded, believing the lie. Jack took a small drink, then picked up the book beginning to read again. After only a few pages the Doctor sighed reaching over to the top of the book. He pulled it out of Jack's hands tossing it to the side of the room. Jack watched it hit the wall before landing on a random page on the floor. "Didn't like the book?"

"The book was fine," The Doctor answered staring at the book on the floor. 

"Then what's the matter, sweethearts?" Jack questioned. The Doctor glanced up quickly meeting Jack's eyes before looking away again. 

"I hate this," The Doctor responded finally. 

"Hate what?" Jack tried to clarify. 

"All of it. I hate being in the medi-bay. I hate being stuck in bed," the Doctor started to rant. He paused as a cough briefly stole his breath away. "I hate coughing. I hate I have to rely on everyone and I hate how you keep looking at me with pity in your eyes while lying to me."

"I haven't lied to you," Jack argued even if he just had about the book. The Doctor rolled his eyes. 

"Forget it," he mumbled rolling to turn his back on the Captain. Jack tried not to growl in frustration as he stood up. Moving to the Doctor's bed, he took a seat on the edge of it being careful not to let any part of his body touch the Time Lords. 

"No, now you mentioned that you hate everything and I am sorry Doc. I wish I could change what happened to you but we both know I can't. I also can't take your place in this bed even though I would give anything to save you from the pain that Ianto put you through. I know how hard it is for you to rely on others and being stuck in bed has to make it even worse because you can't even run in order to release your frustration," Jack informed him. The Doctor nodded, not looking at Jack as he continued to stare at the far wall. "Have you considered that seeing you like this is just as hard for everyone else? We hate what Ianto did to you and I hate the fact that it was a man that I once trusted who betrayed me so horrifically. I spent days being terrified that when I finally found you that you were going to be dead. Now all I want to do is help and lay with you until you feel well enough to face the universe again and I can't even do that."

"I'm sorry," The Doctor whispered. 

"You don't need to apologize to me. I understand that you're hurting Doctor I just hate he took being able to hold you from me," Jack responded. The Doctor turned his head so that he was finally looking at his lover. His brown eyes met Jack's blue ones and he stared at him as he spoke again. 

"You could lay with me," the Doctor told him. Jack shook his head no. 

"You don't have to force yourself to accept my touch just because I want it. I will lay with you again, sweethearts, but not until you are actually ready. Until then you don't ever have to feel sorry over the fact that you can't stand being held," Jack informed him. 

"Alright," The Doctor agreed even if he still felt bad that Jack wanted to hold him and the Doctor couldn't let him yet. He added that to his list of things that he hated as he turned once more to face the wall. Jack leaned over giving him a soft kiss on the side of the head before standing up. He retrieved the book from where it laid on the floor, opening it to the page they left off on. He found a small slip of paper to mark the page, knowing that the Doctor hated folded corners and closed the book. He laid it down on his chair not wanting to read anymore. 

"I am going to step out for a few minutes Doc. Do you need anything before I go or do you want me to get you anything while I am gone?" Jack wondered. 

"No," the Doctor answered softly. He wasn't stupid and knew that Jack needed to get away from him for a moment. Part of him was relieved as he had asked to be alone. Another part just wished he could get over his new hatred of being touched and invite Jack into his bed. He laid with his back to his lover until he heard the door open and then close again. Alone once more in his room, he rolled onto his back staring up at the ceiling. Being on his back put pressure through his sore body and he could feel the bruises on his hips clearly. He shuddered, forcing himself to sit up as he tried not to be sick. Moving his legs to the side of the bed, he supported himself sitting on the side of the bed. With his good hand, he ripped off the oxygen mask throwing it onto the bed beside him. He clipped off the catheter and then the IV. Detached from the machines, he stood up on shaky legs. The TARDIS hummed at him. 

"Shut up," he hissed in Gallifreyan at her. He kept his hand on the wall for balance as he took another step forward. He coughed softly as he moved but managed not to go into a full-fledged coughing fit. He moved towards the door and upon reaching it he opened it a crack looking out. The medi-bay was quiet as Martha and Mickey both slept in their own beds, he didn't see Jack but that was alright with him. He opened the door wider, slipping out. He made his way as quickly as he could to the door of the medi-bay stepping out. Once more the TARDIS hummed at him blowing cool air this time to show her unhappiness with his running. He ignored her as he moved down the corridor letting her know his destination. She took pity on him as his own bedroom door appeared a short way down the corridor. He slipped into it closing the door tightly behind him and locking it. Back in his own room, he stumbled as he started to cough. His body shook and he fell hard to his knees. He cried out in pain coughing harder as he put his hands out in front of himself to stop his fall and jolted his cast arm. He gagged as he moved his arm trying to balance on his good arm. His fingers were bandaged and sore though and he ended up falling to his side. 

"Doctor?" Jack questioned through the closed door. He had been in the kitchen making himself a cup of coffee when the TARDIS alerted him that the Doctor needed him. He had started towards the medi-bay but the TARDIS had directed him towards the Doctor's room instead. Standing outside of it, he could hear the Doctor coughing but he couldn't get to his lover through the locked door. "Sweethearts, please let me in." When there was no response beyond the Doctor continuing to cough he took it into his own hands. Running back to the medi-bay he grabbed a portal oxygen tank, a pair of tweezers and several other items. Returning to the Doctor's door, he easily picked the lock letting himself into the Doctor's room. He fell to his knees beside the Doctor putting the oxygen mask over his face and turning on the tank. 

"What the hell were you thinking?" Jack scolded him. The Doctor couldn't talk as he tried to breathe the oxygen between coughs. He gulped in the air as he finally managed to stop coughing for a moment. Catching his breath he just laid on the floor feeling defeated. His arm was throbbing and his chest hurt from coughing. He rubbed it absentmindedly as he lay curled into himself on the floor. "Come on, let's get you back to the medi-bay."

"No," The Doctor whispered finally. 

"I'm sorry, Doc, but you are in no condition to leave it. You need to go back to bed," Jack told him starting to help him up. 

"I said no," The Doctor growled. He shrugged Jack's hand off of him. Using his good hand, he turned his body pushing himself to his feet. Jack tried to help him again but he shook him off as he stumbled the last few steps to his own bed collapsing down on it. "I'm staying here," He panted through deeper breaths of oxygen. 

"You know the moment Martha wakes up she is going to drag you back to the medi-bay," Jack informed him. He didn't add that he wasn't going to stop her as he agreed that the medi-bay is where the Doctor belonged. 

"Let her try," The Doctor answered defiantly. He sat on his bed, not as happy as he thought he would be now that he was back in his own room. Still, he had escaped the dreaded medi-bay and he refused to go back into it. He was tired of people making decisions for him about his own body and he wasn't going to take it anymore. He couldn't cross his arms with his broken one so he just let it hang as he stared at Jack. 

"Doc," Jack sighed. 

"I said no," the Doctor responded once more. Jack rubbed the bridge of his nose between two fingers. He loved this man, he reminded himself quietly. His coffee was still heating in the kitchen and the hot cup would be nice, but he didn't dare leave the Doctor's side or he risked being locked out of the room again. Pulling out his phone, he sent an apologetic message to Gwen asking her to make him a cup of coffee as he took a seat on the couch in the room. Realizing that Jack wasn't going anywhere, the Doctor stretched out on his own bed, thankful to be back in it. He took off the oxygen mask as he snuggled down under the familiar blankets. 

"You might want to leave that on," Jack suggested. The Doctor made a rude noise at him with his mouth. "Fine, but when you can't breathe don't come whining to me." They both knew it was an empty threat as regardless of how mad he currently was at the Doctor he wouldn't let him suffocate. Now more determined to watch him than before, Jack stretched out on the sofa. Keeping one eye on the Doctor he waited for his coffee.


	29. Chapter 29

The Doctor didn't sleep as he lay resting in his own bed trying to keep his breathing even. He really didn't want to put the oxygen mask back on even if he knew that Jack was right and he needed it. He could feel a burning in his lungs as they struggled to take in the amount of oxygen that his body needed. He should have healed them by now but with refusing to regenerate his energy levels were still off. He should have died or tried to regenerate again by now and he was quite sure why neither had happened. Not that he wasn't grateful to be alive. At least he thought he was. He sighed biting back a cough as he rolled over so that he could look at Jack. 

While he had come to his room to be alone, he understood why Jack wasn't going to leave his side again. He had proven that he couldn't be on his own for long as he fell and the pain stole his breath away. He had been terrified for a brief moment that he would die alone on his bedroom floor as he had struggled to get his breath back. That was until Jack managed to break into his room and give him the life-saving oxygen that his body so desperately needed. Now a part of him was terrified to be alone again even if he wanted to be away from everyone and he was grateful that he could see his lover close by. He smiled at him and Jack smiled back even as he pretended to be interested in something on his phone and not keeping a close eye on his lover. 

There was a knock on his door and he prepared himself for Martha to enter. She was going to be angry at him for leaving the medi-bay without her permission but he wasn't going back. While he was appreciative of everything that Martha had done to keep him alive, he knew what he needed in order to continue to heal and laying in that cold sterile room, wasn't it. 

"Come in," Jack called out before he could tell the person to go away. To his relief when the door opened Gwen stepped inside carrying two cups with her. She looked surprised to see the Doctor laying in his own bed rather than the medi-bay, but she didn't question it. 

"I have a cup of coffee and one of tea," Gwen stated holding them up. The Doctor moved carefully to sit up in order to take the tea as Jack stood going over to her and took them out of her hands. Jack handed the Doctor his cup first, making sure that he had a good grip on it before releasing the cup. The Doctor brought the hot liquid to his mouth taking a long drink. Jack made sure that the bedroom door was closed again before making his way back over to the couch. He flopped down on it, drinking his own coffee in silence. As the Doctor finished the cup, he felt a stirring deep in his abdomen that meant only one thing. While he was confident that he could make it to the loo on his own, he still had the catheter tube in place. It was possible to unclamp it to release his bladder but he just wanted the tube gone and he couldn't do it on his own. 

"Jack," he spoke up, his face already red due to the question he was about to ask. 

"Yes, sweethearts?" Jack wondered immediately. 

"Can you help me remove the catheter tube," The Doctor questioned, his voice low but clear as he asked. 

"Do you want Martha to kill me because that is exactly what is going to happen when she finds you in your room without an IV, oxygen, or your catheter. She is going to be mad at me for not taking you directly back to the medi-bay upon finding you unable to breathe properly on the floor of your room. She will think about killing me for letting you remove the oxygen mask after you got your breath back but removing the catheter without her permission is going to push her over the edge as she will know that I had to have helped you in order to remove it as you couldn't do it yourself with your bandaged fingers and one useful arm," Jack explained. The Doctor nodded as he pushed the blanket down with his good arm so that it was just below his groin. He took the tube gently in his hand, making sure not to tug on it as he looked at it. 

"I could find a way to take it out myself," the Doctor answered, he moved it feeling it move inside him and he made a face. "I just need an empty needless syringe and a towel." 

"I'll do it," Jack sighed. "There is no point in you having a sore penis on top of all your other injuries." Jack went over to the Doctor's bed, pulling the blankets back up to his waist for just a moment. He left the room quickly trusting that the Doctor would let him back in when he returned. Going into the medi-bay, he was relieved to see that Martha was still asleep meaning that he would get to live for a little longer. He retrieved the needless syringe, an antiseptic cream that was safe for the Doctor, a pair of gloves, and a clean towel. Returning to the Doctor's room, he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Ready?" Jack questioned. The Doctor took a deep breath then nodded. His stomach flipped as Jack pulled the blankets down again and he fought not to show his fear at the thought of Jack touching him no matter how chaste it was. He still visibly paled as he reached down holding the blankets tightly as he watched Jack remove the tube. He kept reminding himself that Jack was his lover and he wanted his touch but it didn't help. 

"Loo," he begged the moment Jack was done. Jack didn't hesitate as he scooped the Doctor up in his arms rushing the Doctor to the toilet. He sat him down on it as the Doctor shuddered, turning green. Jack handed him the trash bin that was next to the toilet and the Doctor took it holding it close to his chest. Jack didn't want to leave his lover but he knew that he also couldn't comfort him without making it worse. He stood close to the Doctor feeling conflicted as he tried not to watch and embarrass his lover more as the Doctor was sick. He gasped trying to breathe and Jack left his side for just a moment to retrieve the oxygen tank. Taking the bin from the Doctor he handed him the oxygen mask letting him hold it from his face as he breathed in the pure oxygen. 

"Ready to go back to bed?" Jack questioned as the Doctor got his breath back. 

"I need a shower," the Doctor answered. He knew it was unrealistic with the bandages and the cast but he felt sweaty, sticky, and generally horrible. To his relief, Jack didn't even try to argue him. He just set to work covering the cast in plastic and the Doctor's bandages. As he worked he heard a throat clearing behind him. He turned his head to see Martha standing in the doorway of the room. He could see the anger in her eyes as she took in the scene in front of her and Jack just knew he was about to die. 

"We can change the bandages on his fingers once he is finished," she stated calmly. While she had been angry to find that the Doctor was no longer in his room and then beyond furious when she figured out he had gone to his room and not the loo like she previously suspected, she could see that he had been sick and probably felt like hell. She ran her eyes over his body trying not to get angrier as she saw that he didn't have an IV or his catheter anymore. At least he had the sense to use the oxygen still. She decided that she would allow Jack to help him shower as he obviously needed it. Then once he was tucked back into bed, she was going to kill the immortal.


	30. Chapter 30

Jack pushed Martha's anger to the back of his mind as he helped the Doctor into the shower, touching the Time Lord as little as possible. Still, he made himself available trying not to stare as he stood just outside the shower watching as the Doctor stood perfectly still just letting the water run down his body. The Doctor didn't seem to notice nor care that his lover was still in the room as he stared down at the drain watching the water disappear. Occasionally a soft cough would escape or he would moan but that was all the noise he made as he stood quietly. Jack could tell he was thinking as he watched him but the Time Lord. He just hoped that it was about his recovery and helping them to get him back on his feet, rather than sulking over all the pain that he had suffered. Knowing the Doctor he was both sulking while trying to figure out how to stop Ianto. It was impossible to know for sure though and the Doctor didn't vocalize any of his thoughts.

Eventually, he sighed rolling his head to the side to glance at Jack before reaching for the soap. He lathered up a cloth and started to wash his body carefully with one hand starting with his face. Jack couldn't help but notice the grimace that crossed the Doctor's face as he washed his bruised hips. Running the cloth under the water he rinsed it out then lathered it up again. He held it out towards Jack without looking at him. When Jack failed to take the soapy cloth, though, he turned his head towards him looking at him with questioning eyes. Jack reached out taking the cloth and held it as the Doctor turned his back towards his lover. Jack's hand was shaking as he reached out, running it gently along the Doctor's shoulders and down his back. He made sure to stay away from the Doctor's bruised hips or bottom as he didn't want to upset the Time Lord again. Finishing he set the cloth down on the side of the stall. 

"Are you ready to get out or do you need more time?" Jack questioned as the Doctor didn't turn back around to face him. 

"I still need to wash my hair," The Doctor explained. 

"Do you need help or do you think you can manage it on your own?" Jack wondered already knowing the answer. 

"I need help," the Doctor answered. Jack nodded. He made sure his phone, wallet, and anything else he wanted to keep were out of his pockets before picking up the shampoo. He put a fair amount in his hands and then joined the Doctor under the water still fully dressed. The Doctor turned his head to look at him a small smile briefly crossing his face as he looked at the Captain. "You're an ape."

"I am," Jack agreed happy to see the Doctor smiling. He knew he looked silly standing under the water getting his clothing soaked but it made the Doctor feel safe and comfortable with him sharing the shower. Maybe one day they would be able to shower naked together again but for now, his main focus was making the Doctor feel comfortable within the TARDIS and with him. So even if he wanted to, he didn't kiss the Doctor on the back of the neck or try to be intimate with him as he helped the Doctor to wash his hair. Finishing their shower, the Doctor turned off the water stepping carefully out. Jack followed him dripping all over the floor as he helped the Doctor to dry off. He then kept a step behind him as the Doctor went back into his room. The Doctor glanced briefly at Martha who was sitting on the end of the bed waiting for them.

"I'm not going back to the medi-bay," he informed her as he turned towards his wardrobe for a clean pair of pajamas. 

"Is that so?" Martha questioned her tone making it clear she was angry at him. 

"Yes, it is. I don't need to be in there anymore. I can finish healing in my room," the Doctor responded. He pulled out a pair of pants and held them as he tried to figure out how to put them on with only one good arm. 

"Really, because as your doctor, I don't agree. You nearly died and you are still recovering from the injuries you received. Just because you are able to get up from your bed and walk to your room on your own, doesn't mean you should. What you should do is stay in the medi-bay receiving medication and oxygen as you recover until I agree that it is safe to release you," Martha scolded him. He gave up on trying to get his pants on by himself as he set them off to the side and reached for his pajama bottoms. 

"I have oxygen," the Doctor told her calmly. 

"So that just suddenly makes it alright for you to leave the medi-bay," Martha snipped. The Doctor held the pajamas in his good hand as he stumbled his way back to his bed. Ignoring the fact she was sitting on the end, he sat down on his side leaning over as he held the pajamas in one hand. 

"I'm fine," the Doctor informed her. 

"You're not fine," Jack spoke up from his own place beside the wardrobe. As the Doctor argued with Martha, he had stripped out of his wet clothing and was currently dressing in new clothes. He had been trying to stay out of the argument, hoping that Martha didn't turn on him, but he couldn't help but speak up at the Doctor's statement. They both knew that he wasn't fine and there was no use in him pretending otherwise. 

"I concur, and therefore I am going to have Jack help me take you back to the medi-bay," Martha told the Doctor. 

"Jack won't take me," the Doctor answered for Jack, trapping his lover. Jack wanted to agree with Martha and force the Doctor back to the medi-bay but by doing so he would completely break the Doctor's trust. On the otherhand, not taking him would anger Martha even more and he needed Martha to be there to care for the Doctor and Mickey and not end up in premature labor due to pushing herself when she should be resting. 

"I'm going to go make coffee," Jack responded rather than siding with either of them. He hurried towards the door of the room stepping out into the corridor. 

"Coward," Martha called after him. He ignored her comment as he headed towards the kitchen. From the Doctor's room he could still hear the two of them arguing and he just hoped that they were done by the time he was done making their drinks.


	31. Chapter 31

"He's not a coward," The Doctor immediately defended his lover. He glared at Martha as he reached for the oxygen mask. He didn't put the strap over his head, as he chose to hold the mask close to his mouth breathing in the rich oxygen without the suffocating feeling of it being on his face. Martha shook her head as she watched him. 

"Oh, I know he isn't a coward. Just like we both know that you should really be in the medi-bay until you are well enough that you don't need the oxygen mask anymore," Martha commented. The Doctor dropped the mask to the floor as he turned off the oxygen. Crossing his arms he stared at her. It would have been more intimidating if at that moment his body didn't choose to betray him. He coughed once, then coughed again. He gasped on the second cough as it made his chest hurt and that just made him cough harder. Despite their arguing, Martha immediately went into doctor mode. She moved to his side as retrieved the mask off the floor holding it for him as he struggled to get a breath in with his coughing. 

"Easy, you're alright. Just try to take nice slow breaths," Martha told him calmly. The Doctor rolled his eyes at her. 

"I'm," he coughed. He gasped trying to get the second word out but his coughing prevented it. He connected with the TARDIS, just wanting Jack there, even if he couldn't bring himself to allow Jack to hold him. The TARDIS hummed through him comforting him as he waited for his lover to return. 

"Don't try to talk. Just concentrate on getting your breathing under control," Martha advised him. His eyes narrowed at her. 

"Trying," He finished with a gasp. He was rewarded for his stubbornness by another deep cough that made him see lights flashing in front of his eyes. His head fell forward with his body following after it as his coughing stopped. Martha managed to stop him from falling off the bed but she couldn't get him back on it without risking his cracked rib or his broken arm. 

"What happened?" Jack questioned as he came back into the room with two cups of coffee and a cup of tea. He had gotten to the kitchen to find that the kettle was already hot. He had been in the process of making their drinks when the TARDIS alerted him that the Doctor wanted him. He had taken the time to finish the drinks, thinking that the Doctor just wanted him to take his side in his argument with Martha. Stepping into the room, he immediately regretted his decision not to listen to the TARDIS sooner. 

"He fainted due to being able to draw a proper breath while coughing," Martha summarized. "I need you to help me get him laying him back on the bed properly. Then once I finish examining him we can move him to the medi-bay." Jack ignored the last part of her comment as he helped her carefully move the Doctor more on his bed. He put the strap for the oxygen mask around his head, securing it in place before turning up the level of oxygen the Doctor was receiving. With the higher amount and his even breathing, the Doctor quickly started to groan himself awake. Jack fought the urge to run his fingers through the Doctor's hair as he sat down on the bed next to him. 

"It's alright, sweethearts. You're safe in your room aboard the TARDIS," Jack reminded him, not wanting the Doctor to startle awake and start coughing immediately again. The Doctor reached for the oxygen mask and Jack caught his hand. "I wouldn't take that off quite yet."

"Don't like it," The Doctor breathed.

"I know but until we can take your blood oxygen levels properly it would be better for you to leave it on," Martha explained to him softly. She turned to look at Jack and he refused to meet her eye as he continued to stare at the Doctor. He knew what she was going to ask him and while he agreed with her, he still didn't know if he was going to help her. "I will take the oxygen tank, if you could please carry him back to the medi-bay for me, Jack."

"No," the Doctor argued before Jack could answer her. 

"I wasn't asking," Martha informed him, her stern doctor voice back. 

"I'm not going back and if you force me back then I will just leave again," The Doctor breathed his words slow as he struggled to keep his breathing even. He forced his eyes open so that he could glare at her. 

"Then I will restrain you to the bed," Martha threatened. 

"You wouldn't dare," The Doctor hissed with all the anger of the oncoming storm in his eyes. It amazed Martha slightly how threatening he could look even as he lay slumped against his pillows. 

"Enough," Jack snapped interrupting the two of them. While he didn't want to take a side, it was obvious that he was going to have to. It wasn't an easy decision but he knew which one he was on. "Martha while I understand your concern, he is right. He isn't going to stay in the medi-bay unless we physically restrain him and I am not allowing that to happen. But if we don't restrain him, he could hide in the TARDIS until he decides to appear again and I am not going to let that happen either."

"So what do you suggest," Martha questioned, her anger just below the surface. 

"We let him stay in his room," Jack started and Martha sighed loudly as she threw her arms up in the air. Before Jack could finish his sentence she had already stood up and was almost to the door. "Let me finish." 

"Fine," Martha turned to face Jack. 

"We let him stay in his room," Jack repeated. "He will still be on bed rest unless he needs to shower or use the loo. He will also have to keep his oxygen as well as his IV until you say that he doesn't need them anymore."

"I also want him hooked to a blood oxygen reader," Martha advised Jack. 

"Fine," Jack agreed.

"I don't like it but I will agree as long as he remains stable. If he gets worse then I won't hesitate to have him moved to the medi-bay again, with or without your help," Martha informed Jack. The Doctor opened his mouth to argue but Jack shook his head slightly as he met the Doctor's eyes. To the Doctor's credit, he closed his mouth again. 

"If he deteriorates then I won't hesitate to help you move him but I am confident that won't happen," Jack answered. 

"Let's hope you are right," Martha stated turning to leave the room again. Jack let her this time. "I'll go get his IV." As soon as she was out of hearing range, Jack felt the Doctor's hand slip into his squeezing it tightly for just a moment. 

"Thank you," the Doctor whispered. 

"Anytime," Jack told him. He lifted the Doctor's hand and let his lips brush across his knuckles for just a moment. Hoping he wasn't making a mistake he let go of his hand, and helped him get settled with his tea as they waited for Martha's return.


	32. Chapter 32

The Doctor was quiet as Martha reconnected his IV and made sure that he had the correct medicines. She topped up his painkillers, then proceeded to irritate him as she continued to examine him. He lay on his bed not paying attention to her as she listened to his hearts and lungs. She checked the cast on his arm as well as the capillary refill to make sure it wasn't too tight. He stared at her as she then removed the bandages from his fingers. The nails were still too short but there was no reason to have them bandaged anymore. Leaving the bandages off she finished the exam promising that she would be back later before leaving him alone to rest with Jack by his side. The Doctor's eyes were closed and Jack thought he was trying to go to sleep. So he sat quietly reading a book as he kept an eye on the Time Lord. 

"Jack," The Doctor spoke up startling him. He lowered the book to see the Doctor's eyes were still closed. Wondering if he was talking in his sleep, he raised his book to continue reading. "Jack?"

"Yes, sweethearts?" Jack answered, his voice soft so as not to wake the Doctor if he was asleep. 

"Tell me about what happened while I was buried," the Doctor requested. Jack lowered his book again to see that the Doctor's eyes were still closed. His breathing was even and if it wasn't for the fact that he was speaking directly to Jack, he would have sworn that the Time Lord was asleep. 

"I know you want to help stop them but you don't need to think about that right now. Just concentrate on getting better and once you are healed we can discuss what happened as well as formulate a plan to stop them," Jack told him. He didn't have to see the Doctor's eyes to know that they were just rolled at his suggestion. 

"It's all I can think about, Jack. Regardless of whether my eyes are open or closed, I am back in that house or in the hole beneath the ground slowly suffocating," The Doctor explained. He paused as he took a couple of large breaths of oxygen before continuing. He opened his eyes to look at Jack showing the pain that he felt. " I can barely walk without being out of breath. I can't use my arm, I can't write or type. I can't even touch you without wanting to run but I can't. I am stuck here and all I can do is think. So please, just tell me what they did so I can find a way to stop them."

Jack sighed as he took a deep breath. The Doctor wasn't ready to hear about the havoc that Ianto, Grey, and the unknown man were wrecking on Cardiff. He had already gone against Martha's wishes and what he thought was best for the Doctor in order to make him comfortable again aboard the TARDIS. He knew that the best thing for the Doctor was to not tell him what happened. To make the Doctor rest until his body was healed enough that he could move around the TARDIS without having a coughing fit that stole his breath away. Then the Doctor would be able to assist them in finding a way to stop the three men who had tried to end not only his life but Mickey's. His heart, though, was telling him otherwise and while he tried not to follow his heart in these cases, he just wanted his lover back. He wanted more than anything to be able to climb up on the bed and hold the Doctor in his arms. In order to have that happen, he was going to have to help the Doctor to understand. 

He looked at the Doctor and could see the Time Lord was patiently watching him. The Doctor seemed like he could hear the debate that was going on in his mind, but he didn't push him. Instead, he waited patiently for Jack to make a decision based on his plea. As Jack watched him, the Doctor reached out his hand to Jack. Jack took his hand and held it in his own. The Doctor gave Jack's hand a soft squeeze and Jack smiled at him.

"Would you forgive me if I told you that I would prefer to wait until you were a little stronger before I discuss everything that happened in Cardiff while you were buried?" Jack questioned him. He saw the disappointment flash briefly in the Doctor's eyes but it was gone just as quickly. 

"Of course," the Doctor agreed. He squeezed Jack's hand again, then released it letting it fall to the bed. He used his good arm to pull the blankets up to his neck. 

"Doctor," Jack started.

"I'm tired," the Doctor interrupted as he let his eyes close again. Jack thought the conversation was done as he stood up and stretched. He wished that he could kiss the Doctor goodnight before holding him until they both fell asleep. That wasn't possible at the moment so rather than joining the Doctor for a cuddle he started towards the couch in the room. He planned on laying down and napping as well but the Doctor made him pause. "You can sleep on the bed with me."

"Are you sure?" Jack questioned his heart speeding up at the possibility of joining his lover in bed. 

"I'm sure," the Doctor answered. Jack went around to his side. He toed off his shoes then slipped below the blankets. Even if the Doctor had invited him into bed he was lying stiffly on his own side as he watched Jack. Taking one of his pillows and the extra blanket, he built a wall between them. "Thank you."

"Anytime," Jack answered. The Doctor's eyes drifted closed and soon he was sleeping soundly. Jack waited until he was sure the Doctor was asleep, then got out of bed. No longer tired, Jack went to find Gwen or anyone else that he could talk to that would help him with the confusion he was feeling towards his lover.


End file.
